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THE 

CAMP FIRE GIRLS 

IN THE 

OUTSIDE WORLD 


MARGARET VANDERCOOK 

A 

Author of “The Ranch Girls Series,” etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. 


PUBUSHERS 


Copyright, 1914, by 
The John C. Winston Go. 


CONTENTS 


PACK 

I. “Do You Remember Me?” 7 

II. Betty’s Knight 19 

III. Her Pension 35 

IV. Temptation 47 

V. The Way of the Wilful. . 59 

VI. Esther’s Room 67 

VII. The Threat 75 

VIII. Preparations for the Holi- 
days 86 

IX. The Castle of Life ... 96 

X. The Recognition 108 

XI. Sunrise Cabin Again . . . 120 

XII. “Life’s Little Ironies” . 134 

XIII. The Invalids 146 

XIV. “Which Comes Like a Bene- 

diction” 160 

XV. Secrets 169 

XVI. The Law of the Fire . . 180 

XVII. A Figure in the Night. . 194 

XVIII. Uncertainty 205 

XIX. An Unspoken Possibility . 214 

XX. The Beginning of Light . 222 

XXI. Betty Finds Out 233 

XXII. Sunrise Cabin 241 

XXIII. Farewells 253 

' 5 ) 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Esther Crippen, That is the Love- / 

LiEST Song IN THE World . Frontispiece y 

PAGB 

There Isn^t Anything Much to 

Tell^^ 2 \ / 

The Professor Had to Wipe His 
Glasses 153 ^ 

‘^I Won’t Interfere With Your / 
Destination” 245 ^ 


C«) 


Tlie Camp Fire Girls in tlie 
Outside World 


CHAPTER I 

You Remember Me?’^ 

W ALKING slowly down a broad 
stairway, a girl carried three old 
silver candlesticks in her hands. 
And although the hallway was in semi-dark- 
ness, the candles had not yet been lighted. 
It was a cold November afternoon and the 
great house was chill and silent. 

Entering the drawing room, she placed 
the candles upon the mantelpiece. Her 
breath was like a small gray cloud before 
her; and her dress, too, was the color of 
the mist and soft and clinging. 

^^Work, health and love,^’ she murmured 
quietly, striking a match and watching 
the candles flicker and flare until finally 
they burned with a steady glow. ^^If 
(7) 


8 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


one has these three things in life as I have, 
what else is worth worrying over?^^ Then 
the sigh that came in answer to her own 
question almost extinguished the candle 
flames. 

There are bills and boarders of course — 
too many of the first and at present none 
of the second/’ she added with a kind of 
whimsical smile. ^^But, oh dear, what a 
trying Thanksgiving day this has been, 
when even the Camp Fire ideals won’t 
comfort me! Dick ’way off in Germany, 
Polly and Esther studying in New York 
and me face to face with my failure to save 
the old house. It is not worth while pre- 
tending; the house must be sold and 
mother and I shall have to find some other 
place to live. In the morning I will go 
and tell Judge Maynard that I give up.” 

Sadly Betty Ashton glanced about the 
familiar room. The portraits of her New 
England ancestors appeared to gaze coldly 
and reproachfully down upon her. They 
had not been of the stuff of which failures 
are made. Her grand piano was closed 
and dusty, the window blinds were partly 
pulled down, and although a fire was 


‘^DO YOU REMEMBER ME?^^ 9 


laid in the grate, it was not burning. 
Dust, cold and an unaccustomed atmos- 
phere of neglect enveloped everything. 

With a hfting of her head and a tighten- 
ing of her lips that gave her face a new 
expression, the girl suddenly pulled open 
a table drawer and began fiercely to polish 
the top of the piano while she talked. 

There is no reason why I should allow 
this place to look so dismal just because 
things have gone wrong with my efforts 
to keep boarders and continue my work 
at school. As no one is coming to see me 
I can’t afford a fire, but I’ll open the piano 
and place Esther’s song, ^The Soul’s De- 
sire,’ on the music rack, just as though 
she were at home to sing it for me. Dick’s 
duU old books shall lie here on the table 
where he used to leave them, near this red 
rose that John Everett brought me this 
morning. Somehow the rose makes me 
think of PoUy. It is so radiant. How 
curious that certain persons suggest cer- 
tain colors! Now Polly is often pale as a 
ghost, and yet red always makes me recall 
her.” 

A few moments afterwards and Betty 


10 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


moved toward the front window and stood 
there staring out into the street, too deep in 
thought to be actually conscious of what 
she was doing. 

She had changed in the past six months 
of struggle with poverty and work beyond 
her strength. There were shadows under 
her gray eyes and worried lines about the 
corners of her mouth. Instead of being 
slim as formerly, she was undeniably so 
thin that even the folds of her delicate 
crepe dress could not wholly disguise it. 

It was not that Mrs. Ashton and Betty 
had spent this lonely day in their old home, 
because their former friends had neglected 
them. Indeed, they had had invitations 
to Thanksgiving dinners from half a dozen 
sources. But Mrs. Ashton had not been 
well in several months and was today too 
ill for her daughter to leave her. The two 
women were now entirely alone in the house. 
One by one their boarders had deserted 
them, and the previous week they had 
even felt compelled to give up the old cook, 
who had been in the service of the Ashton 
family for twenty years. 

At first Betty saw nothing to attract 


YOU REMEMBER ME?^^ 11 


her attention in the street outside — ^not a 
single passer-by. It was odd how quiet 
and cold the world seemed with her mother 
asleep in one of the far-away rooms up- 
stairs and other persons evidently too 
much interested in indoor amusements to 
care for wandering through the dull town. 

In another instant, however, the girFs 
attention was caught by the appearance of a 
figure which seemed to spring up suddenly 
out of nowhere and to stand gazing intently 
toward the Ashton house. It was almost 
dark, and yet Betty could distinguish a 
young man, roughly dressed, wearing no 
overcoat, with his coat collar turned up 
and a cap pulled down over his eyes. 
Without being frightened, she was curious 
and interested. Why should the man 
behave so queerly? He now walked past 
the house and then turned and came back, 
not once but several times. Evidently he 
had not observed the girl at the window. 
At last however he gave up, and Betty 
believed that she saw him disappear be- 
hind the closed cottage of the O^Neills. 
No longer entertained, she prepared to 
leave the drawing room. It was too chilly to 


12 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


remain there any longer. Moreover, study- 
ing the familiar objects she had loved os 
long only made the thought of their sur- 
render more painful. Betty once more 
faced her three candles. 

“Be strong as the fagots are sturdy; 

Be pure in your deepest desire; 

Be true to the truth that is in you;'^ 

^'And — ^follow the law of the fire/^ she 
repeated with a catch in her breath. Then 
with greater strength and resolution in her 
face she blew out two of the candles, and 
picking up the third, started on her way 
upstairs. 

The next moment there came a quick, 
muffled ring at the front door bell. 

The girl hesitated; yet there was no one 
else in the house to answer the beU, and 
only a friend, she thought, could come at 
this hour. Shading her light from the 
wind with one hand she puUed open the 
door with the other, already smiling with 
pleasure at the idea of thus ending her 
loneliness. 

Close against the door she discovered 


'^DO YOU REMEMBER ME?’^ 13 


the young man whom she had seen only a 
few moments before in the street. 

He did not speak nor move imme- 
diately. 

^‘What do you wish?’' Betty demanded 
a trifle impatiently. The fellow had both 
fists rammed deep into his pockets and had 
not the comiiesy to remove his hat. With 
a slight sense of uneasiness, Betty thought 
of closing the door. The unexpected 
visitor kept edging closer toward her and 
was apparently fumbling for something in 
his coat. 

Please tell me what it is you want at 
once,” the girl repeated almost angrily. 
^^This is Mrs. Ashton’s house if you are 
looking for it. My mother and I are 
entirely alone.” Having made this speech 
Betty instantly recognized its stupidity and 
regretted it. 

However the young man had at last suc- 
ceeded in removing a small oblong package 
from his pocket, which he silently thrust 
toward her. On the wrapper in big letters, 
such as a child might have written, the 
girl was able to decipher her own name. 
But while she was puzzling over it, and 


14 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


before she could thank the messenger, he 
had hiuried off. 

Betty set her candle down on the lowest 
of the front steps and kneeling before it 
rapidly undid her parcel. Inside the paper 
she discovered a crudely hand-carved 
wooden box, and opening the lid, a blank 
sheet of folded white paper. 

She shook the paper. Had some one 
sent her a Thanksgiving present or was 
she being made the victim of a joke? But 
from between the blank sheets something 
slowly fluttered to her feet. And picking 
it up with a little cry of surprise Betty 
saw a crisp new ten dollar bill. 

Immediately her cheeks turned scarlet 
and her eyes filled with indignant tears. 
Only by an effort of wiU could the tears be 
kept from falling. Did any one of her 
friends consider her so poverty-stricken 
that it was necessary to send her money in 
this anonymous fashion? 

Scarcely waiting to think, Betty rushed 
out of the house and down the old paved 
brick walk out into the street. For there 
might be a bare chance that the messenger 
was not yet out of sight. Sure enough. 


YOU REMEMBER ME?^^ 15 


there he was still loitering on the corner 
about half a block away. Bareheaded, 
and in her thin dress, with the money in 
her hand, the girl ran forward. And 
actually as she reached the young man, she 
caught him fast by the sleeve. 

“Please, you must tell me who sent me 
this money or else take it back at once and 
say that though I am very much obliged I 
cannot receive a gift delivered in this secret 
fashion.’^ 

The two young people were standing 
near an electric light so that they could 
now see each other plainly. Betty observed 
a tall, overgrown boy with thin, straight 
features and clear hazel eyes, and now that 
his hat was removed, a mass of curly dark 
hair, which had been vainly smoothed down. 

“I can’t take the money back, since it 
belongs to you,” the young man answered 
awkwardly. 

Inside her Betty heard a small voice 
whispering: “If it only really did!” For 
the ten dollars would buy Christmas 
presents for her mother, for PoUy and 
Esther and others of her friends. Never- 
theless she shook her head. 


16 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


^^The money cannot be mine and so you 
must return it.’’ Then finding that her 
insistence was failing to have any effect, 
she dropped the money on the ground at 
the young fellow’s feet and walked away. 

^^But, Miss Ashton,” the stranger’s voice 
argued, “please believe me when I say that 
this money is yours. Oh, of course I don’t 
mean this special ten dollar bill; for yours 
was spent nearly a year ago. But at least 
the money represents the same amount.” 

Betty paused and again faced the 
speaker. There was sincerity in his tone — 
a determined appeal. But what on earth 
could he be talking about? He looked 
perfectly rational, although his statement 
was so extraordinary. 

“You don’t recognize me and I am truly 
glad,” the young man went on. “But 
can’t you recall once having befriended a 
fellow when instead you ought to have 
sent him to jail? He did not deserve your 
kindness then. He was actually trying to 
steal from you the money which you after- 
wards gave him of your own free will. 
But he has tried since to be honest.” 

He ceased abruptly. For Betty’s eyes 


DO YOU REMEMBER ME?^’ 17 


were shining and she was thrusting her 
little cold hand into his big one. 

You^re not!’’ she exclaimed. 

Yes I am,” the boy returned. 

^^Anthony Graham, Nan’s brother?” 
Betty laughed happily. ^^Then please 
give me back the money I refused. I did 
not imderstand that you were returning the 
loan. Of course I understand how you 
feel about it. And do come back and into 
the house with me. I so want you to tell 
me all about yourself. I hope you have 
had splendid luck.” 

The yoimg man’s shabby appearance 
did not suggest sudden riches. Neverthe- 
less he smiled. 

For more than ever did Betty Ashton 
appear to him like the Princess of his 
dreams. Only once before had he met her 
face to face. And yet the vision had never 
left him. He could still see the picture of 
a girl moving toward him, her face filled 
with shame — ^for him — ^and her eyes down- 
cast; and thrusting into his clenched fist, 
which had so lately been raised to in- 
jure her, the money which had given him 
the desired opportunity for getting away 


18 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


from his old associations and beginning 
again. 

Enter her home and teU her of his 
struggle! Anthony felt far more like 
kneeling in the dust at her feet. Yet being 
a boy he could only blush and stammer 
without words to voice his gratitude. 

Betty was beginning to shiver. Please 
come, I am so lonely,’^ she urged. have 
had the horridest kind of a Thanksgiving 
day. Only a little while ago I was having 
a hard time trying to remember the things 
that I have to be thankful for.” 


CHAPTER II 


Betty’s Knight 

T he drawing room fire was soon 
crackling. ^^It is so nice to feel 
I have the privilege of lighting it 5 
I have been dying to for the past hour, 
but didn’t think I could afford it without 
company,” Betty confided, blowing at the 
flames. ^^Do please get some chairs and 
let us draw up quite close. It is so much 
pleasanter to talk that way.” 

Yet Anthony Graham only stared without 
moving. To think of a Princess speaking 
of not being able to afford so inexpensive a 
luxury as a fire. Suddenly the young man 
longed to be able immediately to chop 
down an entire forest of trees and lay it as 
a thank offering before her. Of course his 
sister Nan had written him of Mr. Ashton’s 
death and of the change in the family for- 
tunes, but to associate real poverty with 
his conception of Betty was impossible. 
Glancing uneasily about the great room it 
( 19 ) 


20 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


was good to see how beautiful it still 
looked, how perfect a setting for its young 
mistress. So at least they were able to keep 
their handsome home. 

To the young man Betty Ashton now 
appeared more beautiful than his former 
impression of her. For on the day of their 
original meeting she had worn a fur coat 
and a cap covering her hair and a portion 
of her face. But now the three Camp 
Fire candles were once more burning, form- 
ing a kind of shining background for the 
girl’s figure. Her hair was a deep red 
brown, with bronze tones, the colors in the 
autunm woods. There was no longer any 
sign of pallor or weariness in her cheeks, 
for pleasure and excitement had reawak- 
ened the old Betty. 

^'Do sit down,” she urged again. 
want to hear all about you.” 

Then, coming to his senses, Anthony 
managed to drag two comfortable chairs 
before the blaze. 

There isn’t anything much to tell,” 
he began shyly. “Only after you gave me 
that money I just started walking farther 
and farther away from Woodford. Why, 




BETTY’S KNIGHT 


23 


it seemed to me that I didn’t ever want to 
stop, for that would give me a chance to 
realize what I had done. And I didn’t 
stop, either, until I was too dead tired to 
go on. But by that time I had come to 
another town and it must have been pretty 
late, because the main street was empty. 
I was passing along close to the wall of a 
building when I saw that an office door had 
been left open. It was pretty cold, so I 
peeped in. The room was dark and there 
was nobody about, so creeping inside I 
lay down on the floor and went to sleep.” 
The boy stopped, but his listener was lean- 
ing forward with her hands clasped and her 
lips parted with eagerness. 

^^Do go on and tell me every detail. It 
sounds just like a story,” she entreated. 

^^When I woke up it^^was daylight and 
I found that I had landed in a dusty, 
untidy place, littered with old books and 
papers,” he continued. “A small stove in 
the comer was choked up with ashes. I 
can’t tell exactly why, but the first thing 
I did that morning was to scrape out those 
ashes, and then I found some sticks and 
coals and built a fresh fire.” Anthony 


24 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


flashed a glance at Betty out of his shy, 
almost frightened blue eyes. guess I 
was feeling kind of well disposed toward 
fires just then, camp fires anyhow. Then 
I was thinking that I would like to pay for 
my night^s lodging in some way. I fell to 
brushing out the room, so that when the 
young man came down later he would find 
his office cleaned up. Seemed like all of a 
sudden, after what had happened between 
you and me, that I wanted to work and 
pay my own way. I had never before been 
anything but a loafer. 

^^But you couldn^t have known that the 
office belonged to a young man unless you 
waited there until after he came in!^^ 
Betty exclaimed. 

Anthony laughed. ^^Oh, yes, I waited 
all right and I have been in that same 
office more or less ever since, until I came 
home to Woodford the day before yester- 
day. Of course I meant to clear out as 
soon as I had finished, but while I was 
working I heard a quiet chuckle behind me, 
and swinging around, there stood Mr. 
Andrews!^’ 

^^But who was or is this Mr. Andrews?'^ 


BETTY^S KNIGHT 


25 


Betty asked impatiently, too interested to 
be particularly polite. 

^^My next best friend, after you,^’ the 
young fellow answered. ^^Why, I think I 
can remember even now his very first 
words to me: ^Hello,^ he said, ^why are 
you doing me such a good turn?’ ^Because 
you have just done me one. I slept all 
night in your office,’ I answered. He 
didn’t seem surprised and I thought that 
rather funny. But afterwards I learned 
that he had been a poor boy himself and 
had slept in all sorts of queer places. 
He is still poor enough, goodness knows, 
but he has graduated in law and set 
up an office. He will succeed some 
day, sime as faith. You can bet on 
him.” 

Betty bit her lips, her eyes dancing with 
amusement and curiosity. Actually her 
visitor was becoming so much in earnest 
over his friend that he was forgetting to 
be afraid of her. 

^^But what about you and your success?” 
she demanded. 

The young man flushed, moving uncom- 
fortably. in his chair, as though yearning to 


26 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


get away from his questioner, and yet not 
knowing exactly how. 

Success, my success? I haven’t yet 
used that word in connection with myself. 
I have just managed to keep on working, 
that’s about all. Mr. Andrews let me con- 
tinue sleeping in his oflSice after I told him 
my story and cleaning it to pay for my 
lodging. Then by getting up early enough 
I arranged to take care of a few others for 
money and to run errands now and then. 
I read in between times.” 

^'Read? Read what?” Betty inquired 
inexorably, half smiling and half frowning 
at her own persistence. For somehow in 
their half hour’s talk together she had seen 
something in Anthony Graham that made 
her guess that the young man had worked 
harder and dreamed better in this past 
year than he was willing to acknowledge to 
her. 

But Anthony got up from his chair and 
began deliberately backing toward the door. 
He seemed suddenly to have became more 
awkward and self-conscious. “I read the 
law books, as there wasn’t anything else to 
read. And I was determined to get more 


BETTY^S KNIGHT 


27 


education so that in the future Nan need 
not be ashamed of me. Afterwards I 
went to night school and 

^^So you have made up your mind to be 
a lawyer yourself some day.^’ Betty sighed 
with satisfaction. How very like a book 
his confession sounded! She wanted to 
get more information from her visitor and 
yet at the same time longed to rush upstairs 
and commence a letter to Polly O’Neill at 
once. Wouldn’t Polly be interested? For 
she had predicted on the day of their first 
meeting that the young man would either 
turn out to be absolutely no good, or else 
(and here Betty blushed, recalling the 
prophecy) ^^Remain your faithful knight to 
the end of the chapter.” 

^^But why did you come back to Wood- 
ford if this Mr. Andrews was befriending 
you and giving you a chance?” she in- 
quired, fearing that her illusion might now 
be shattered. 

The young man did not reply at once. 
And he scowled until Betty had an uncom- 
fortable recollection of the expression which 
she had seen on his face the day of his 
attack upon Polly and her. 


28 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Then after moving a few steps nearer the 
fire so that he and the girl were once more 
facing each other, Betty could see that 
his scowl had been due to embarrassment 
and not anger. 

'^You are awfully good to be willing to 
listen to so long a tale of a ne’er-do- 
well,’’ he returned. “I came back to 
Woodford because I was determined to 
make good in my own town. A fellow that 
can’t trust himself in the face of tempta- 
tions isn’t worth being trusted. I’m going 
back to Mr. Andrews later, perhaps, but 
this winter I am to stick right here in 
Woodford and live down my bad name if 
I can. Judge Maynard says he will give 
me the same kind of a chance that 
Mr. Andrews did, if I am worth it. And I 
shall be able to see Nan and the others now 
and then. It didn’t seem fair for me to be 
leaving all the family troubles to a girl.” 

Involuntarily Betty clapped her hands. 
She had not intended to express her emo- 
tion openly, but so pleased was she with 
Anthony’s reply that she couldn’t help it. 
The next moment she felt a little ashamed 
of her enthusiasm. 


BETTY^S KNIGHT 


29 


‘^Oh, Nan is equal to almost anything; 
we consider her the greatest success in our 
Camp Fire club,” Betty protested. ^^Nan 
is studying domestic science at the High 
School and intends teaching it some day, 
so she will make you awfully comfortable 
at home.” 

The young man put out his hand. 
“Good-bye,” he said. “I never dreamed 
I would be brave enough to ask you to 
shake hands with me for a good many 
years yet. But since you have been kind 
enough ” 

“To ask you ten thousand questions,” 
Betty laughed, rising and putting out 
both hands with a friendly gesture, and 
then moving toward the door with her 
caller. 

“I am not going to be able to live at 
home, however,” Anthony concluded. “It 
is too far to our little place to get into 
town early enough for my work and to 
be here in the evenings for the night school. 
IVe got to find a room somewhere. I 
oughtn^t to kick because nobody seems 
crazy to let me stay in their house. I 
did leave a pretty poor reputation behind 


30 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


me around here and IVe got to show 
people first that I mean to behave differ- 
ently. I guess IT strike better luck later.’’ 

Although Betty was extremely sym- 
pathetic, she did not answer at once. 
For a sudden surprising understanding had 
come to her. How difficult it must be for 
any one to have to go about telling his 
acquaintances of his reformation before 
having the chance to prove it. Then an 
almost appealing expression crept into her 
face, making her cheeks flush hotly and 
her lashes droop. Her old friends would 
have recognized the look. For it was the 
one that she most often wore when she 
desired to do another person a kindness 
and feared she might not be allowed. 

'^Couldn’t you, won’t you come here 
and have a room with us?” she asked 
unexpectedly. ^'We have such heaps of 
rooms in this old house and now mother 
and I are here alone, we reaUy would like 
to have you for protection. And if you 
don’t like to accept with just my invita- 
tion, will you come in again tomorrow 
or next day? I am sure mother will wish 
to ask you too.” 


BETTY^S KNIGHT 


31 


Anthony Graham had had rather a rough 
time always. He had a peculiar disposition, 
and all his life probably liked only a 
few people very deeply. His wasted youth 
— ^nearly twenty years of idling rather than 
study or work — and his mixed parentage — 
the Italian peasant mother and his New 
England father — would make his struggle 
in the world a long and an uphill one even 
if he should finally succeed. Among the 
first things he meant to learn was not to 
show his emotions too easily, to hide his 
feelings whenever he could, so that he 
might learn to take without apparent 
flinching the hard knocks that life was 
sure to send. He had been preparing 
himself for the imkindnesses. Now at 
Betty^s words he felt a lump forming in 
his throat and had a terrified moment of 
believing that he was about to cry like a 
girl. For could it be possible that any 
human being could so forgive one^s sins 
as almost to forget them? Yet here was 
Betty Aishton asking him to stay in her 
home to protect her mother and herself 
when his only other meeting had been his 
effort to rob her. 


32 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Anthony set his teeth. canT live in 
so grand a house as this. I couldn^t afford 
it/’ he replied huskily. 

It was on the tip of Betty’s tongue to 
protest that she had never dreamed of 
Anthony’s paying anything. For Betty 
Ashton, whatever the degree of her poverty, 
could never fail in generosity, since gener- 
osity is a matter not of the pocketbook 
but of the spirit. However, all of a sudden 
she appreciated that the young man had 
quite as much right to his self-respect as 
she had to hers. 

^^Even the little will be a help to mother 
and me,” she returned more humbly than 
any one else had ever before heard her 
speak. 

^^But perhaps I could be useful. Maybe 
you haven’t so many servants as you once 
had ” 

Anthony stopped, for Betty’s expres- 
sion had changed so completely. Of course 
she had already repented of her offer. 

^^We have no servants and you could 
help a great deal,” she answered. And 
then without any pretense of concealing 
them, she let two tears slide down her 


BETTY^S KNIGHT 


33 


face. is only that I had forgotten 

for the moment that we are not going to 
be able to stay in our house much longer. 
We canT aJfford to keep it for ourselves 
and I havenT been a success with having 
boarders. Still it may be some time before 
we can rent or sell it, and if you will stay 
here until then 

Betty winced, for her visitor had this 
time clasped her hand until the pressure 
of its hard surface hurt. 

''You know it would be the greatest 
thing that ever happened for me to be 
allowed to stay here a week,’^ he added. 

And Betty laughed. "Then stay.^^ 

As she opened the front door another 
visitor stood waiting on the outside. He 
was almost as unexpected as Anthony 
Graham. For it was Herr Crippen, the 
German music professor and Esther^s father. 

"What on earth could he want?’^ Betty 
thought irritably. She was beginning to 
feel anxious to get upstairs to her mother 
again. For in spite of the fact that she 
now believed that she had a real affection 
for Esther, she had never been able to 
recover from her first prejudice for this 

3 


34 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


shabby, hesitating man. Then his manner 
toward her was always so apologetic. Why 
on earth should it be? She was always 
perfectly polite to him. What a queer 
combination of Thanksgiving visitors she 
was having! 

^^GnMiges Fraulein,’’ he began. And 
Betty ushered him into the drawing room. 
For perhaps he was bringing her news of 
Esther. 


CHAPTER III 


Her Pension 

a OOD luck never rains but it pours, 

I -w" as well as bad luck, mother,’’ 
Betty Ashton said one morning 
nearly a week later. She had just put 
down a big tray of breakfast on a small 
table before Mrs. Ashton and now seated 
herself on the opposite side. 

Mrs. Ashton sighed. ^'If your good 
luck storm has any reference to us, Betty 
dear, I am sure I don’t get your point of 
view. For if anything but misfortune has 
followed our footsteps since your father’s 
death I am sure I should like to hear what 
it is.” And Mrs. Ashton shivered, draw- 
ing her light woolen shawl closer about 
her shoulders. 

There are some persons in this world 
whom troubles brace. After the first 
shock of a sorrow or calamity has passed 
they stand reinforced with new strength 
and new courage. These are the world’s 

( 35 ) 


36 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


successful people. For after a while, ill 
luck, findin g that it can never down a really 
valiant spirit, grows weary and leaves it 
alone. Then the good things have their 
turn — ^health, better and more admiring 
friends, fame, money, love. Whatever 
the struggle has been made for, if it has 
been sufficiently brave and persistent, the 
reward is sure. But there are other men 
and women, or girls and boys, for age 
makes no difference, who go down like 
wilted flowers in the teeth of the fiirst 
storm. And on them life is apt to trample, 
misfortunes to pile up. 

Mrs. Ashton was one of these women. 
She had made things doubly hard for 
Betty and Dick. Indeed, except for 
his sister, Richard Ashton would never 
have had the strength of purpose to sail 
for Germany to complete his medical 
studies. He would simply have surrendered 
and commenced his practice of medicine 
in Woodford without being properly 
equipped for perhaps the greatest of all 
the professions — ^the struggle to conquer 
disease. Yet somehow Betty had had a 
clearer vision than can be expected of 


HER PENSION 


37 


most girls of her age. In a vague way 
she had understood that it is oftentimes 
wiser to make a present sacrifice for some 
greater future gain. So she had persuaded 
Dick to use the little money that he had 
for his work, assuring him that she and her 
mother could get on perfectly well together 
at home. And with haK a dozen summer 
boarders at the time of his leaving, it did 
look to Dick as though her confidence was 
not misplaced. 

Now in answer to her mother’s speech 
Betty said nothing at first. So that 
several tears sliding down Mrs. Ashton’s 
cheeks watered her hot buttered toast. 

“I am sure I never expected to live to 
see this day, my dear, when you would 
have to cook your own breakfast and mine 
before you could leave for school,” she 
murmured. ^^Why, I never thought that 
you would have to turn over your hand 
even to look after yourself. Until you 
developed that Camp Fire enthusiasm you 
had not been taught a single useful thing. 
After all, perhaps it might have been better 
for you if I had never been your mother, 
if ” 


38 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Betty laughed teasingly. ^^My dear 
Mrs. Ashton, you talk as if you could have 
avoided that affliction! You could not 
very well have helped being my mother, 
could you? You did not deliberately 
choose me out from a lot of girls. Because 
if you did, I should have very little respect 
for your good judgment. Think, if you 
might have selected either Polly or Esther! 
Why, then you would be sure to be rich 
again some day. For one of them would 
act so marvelously that she would be able 
to cast laurels at your feet, while the other 
would sing you back to fortune. But as 
it is, you will just have to put up with 
poor me until Dick gets his chance. Now 
do eat your breakfast while I relate the 
details of our good luck storm. In the 
first place, we are not going to have to 
give up our beloved house. At least not 
yet, and perhaps never if our German- 
American Pension plan turns out satis- 
factorily.^^ 

Betty drank a swallow of coffee, hardly 
appreciating what she was doing, so deep 
was her absorption in their affairs. 

Honestly, mother, I should never have 


HER PENSION 


39 


dreamed of being so interested in this plan 
of Rose’s and Miss McMurtry’s for us, if 
it had not been for Dick’s letters. But if 
German ladies can keep successful pen- 
sions, why not Americans? Remember 
what a funny lot of people Dick has 
described — ^the fat widow with the two 
musical daughters. I hope one of them 
won’t set her cap for Dick, he loves music 
so dearly. Then you know the young boy 
student who was nearly starving when 
Dick rescued him, and the old Baron who 
wears a wig, and the half dozen others? 
But no matter how queer and funny they 
may be, they can be no more so than our 
pensioners. There is Miss McMurtry 
herself and Anthony Graham, and Dr. 
Barton moving into town to have an office 
in our old library. I wonder sometimes if 
he and Rose are still friends. They had a 
disagreement once out at the cabin and she 
just speaks to him since.” 

Then Betty Ashton hesitated and de- 
voted herself to finishing her breakfast. 

^‘1 am sure I don’t understand why you 
fail to mention Herr Crippen, child, who is 
to have a room here with us and teach his 


40 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


pupils in our big drawing room. I am glad 
he has been so successful with his music 
pupils that he is able to give Esther the 
advantage of studying in New York. I 
wish you did not have such a ridiculous 
prejudice against him. Indeed, my dear, 
I have a very strong reason for insisting 
that you be kind to him. He is Esther^s 
father and 

Mrs. Ashton spoke more firmly than was 
usual with her. 

But Betty shrugged her shoulders imper- 
ceptibly. ^'Oh, of course I am glad 
enough to have the Professor here and I 
have never said I did not like him. But I 
am specially happy that Edith Norton^s 
family has moved away so she is to have a 
room with us. I am kind of lonely with- 
out Polly and Esther, and somehow 

Edith,^^ Betty broke off abruptly. Not 

even to her mother did she feel like men- 
tioning the fact that Edith did not seem to 
be turning out quite so well as the other 
Simrise Camp Fire girls. 

With a hurried movement she next 
picked up the breakfast tray, exclaiming: 

“Thank heavens we are not going to 


HER PENSION 


41 


have to give our lodgers anything but their 
rooms and that Martha is coming back to 
do our cooking and the cleaning. Good 
old soul to offer to do it without pay. 
She said that she could not bear living any- 
where except with us and' that she had 
enough of father^s money stored away in 
bank not to need any more. But we could 
not have had her work without pay.^^ 
Betty kissed her mother lightly on the fore- 
head. '^If any one else turns up today and 
wishes a room, just refer them to me. I^m 
afraid I won^t leave us a bed to sleep in 
I am getting so anxious to surprise Dick by 
really earning a lot of money. 

^^Well, don^t rent the back room that 
Esther used to have, Betty. You may 
move into it yourself some day if you like, 
but I would rather not have a stranger 
occupy it. I ” 

^^What on earth is queer about that 
room?’’ Betty interrupted. have not 
time to listen now, but you must tell me. 
You talk as though it were a kind of 
Bluebeard’s Chamber of Horrors. Yet I 
don’t suppose you would put me in it if I 
were likely to have my head cut off in con- 


42 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


sequence. Good-bye, dear.^^ And Betty 
fled out into the hall, realizing that it must 
be almost school time. 

The door of Esther^s old room happened 
by accident to be standing open, and still 
holding on to her tray, Betty paused before 
it for a few moments. She was not think- 
ing of a possible mystery or secret in 
connection with the room, only wondering 
if Esther and Polly were to be at home for 
the Christmas holidays. They both 
wanted to come, she thought. But Esther 
was not sure of being able to afford it and 
Polly was uncertain of whether she wished 
to stay in her stepfather^s house at a time 
when her stepbrother, Frank Wharton, 
whom she disliked so much, should also be 
at home for his holidays. The girFs face 
was a little wistful. She so longed to see 
both her friends. Without them and with- 
out Dick, this first Christmas under such 
changed conditions at home might be 
rather trying. 

Betty exclaimed a trifle indig- 
nantly, with her arm shaking so that the 
dishes in her hands rattled dangerously. 
^^What in the world are you doing in the 


HER PENSION 


43 


house at this hour, Anthony Graham? 
You frightened me nearly to death, turn- 
ing up at my elbow in such an unexpected 
fashion. I thought you had been gone 
hours!” 

Anthony put down his coal scuttle and 
took hold of Betty ^s tray. “I have been 
away, but I came back for a moment 
because your mother wished me to do 
something for her as soon as I had the 
spare time.” His tone was so surly that 
Betty smiled. Anthony had been brought 
up with such a different class of people that 
he was unable to understand sarcasm or 
pretense of any kind. Whatever one said 
he accepted in exactly the words in which 
it was spoken. And Betty and her friends 
had always been accustomed to joking 
with one another, to saying one thing, 
often meaning another. Anthony should 
have had the sense to realize that she was 
not really cross, that her indignation was 
partly assumed. Therefore she did not 
intend taking the trouble to set him right 
in the present instance. 

^^TYL carry the dishes down myself. I 
have plenty of time,” she protested coldly. 


44 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


But Anthony only held the more firmly 
to the tray, with his face crimsoning. 

The truth was that he had been appre- 
ciating in the past few days a truth of 
which the girl herself was as yet uncon- 
scious. Betty^s manner toward him had 
noticeably changed. In the excitement of 
their Thanksgiving day meeting and his 
romantic return of the money which she 
had completely forgotten, she had shown 
far more interest and friendliness than she 
now did. On that occasion Betty had 
overlooked the young fellow^s roughness, 
his lack of education and family advan- 
tages. Really Anthony had never been 
taught even the common civilities of life 
and had to trust to a kind of instinct, even 
in knowing when to take off his hat, when 
to shake hands, how to enter or leave a 
room. And he understood keenly enough 
his own limitations. Yet the change in 
Betty^s attitude had hurt him, even though 
he acknowledged to himself his failure to 
deserve even her original kindness. She 
was still kind enough of course in the 
things which she thought counted. She 
was cordial about his having his room in 


HER PENSION 


45 


the house with her mother and herself and 
most careful of thanking him for any 
assistance which he rendered them. Yet 
the difference was there. For neither in 
heart nor mind had Betty yet grown big 
enough to feel real comradeship with a boy 
so beneath her in social position and 
opportunities. 

Nevertheless she did not mean to be 
imgracious and something in the carriage 
of the young man^s head as he moved off 
down the hall suggested that he was either 
hurt or angry, although exactly why Betty 
could not understand. 

Don’t go for a second, Anthony,” she 
called after him. wanted to tell you 
that you are living in a house with a 
haunted chamber. At least I don’t know 
whether this room is exactly haunted, but 
there is something queer about it that my 
mother and brother have never confided to 
me. Perhaps I shall move in and find out 
for myself what it is. I will if there is a 
chance of my friends, Esther Crippen and 
Polly O’Neill, coming home for the hol- 
idays. For it is so big that we could stay 
in it together. And perhaps Mrs. O’Neill 


46 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


will let PoUy come here and visit me for a 
little while. Both the girls are doing won- 
derful things in New York City. And I 
am afraid if they don^t come home pretty 
soon they will both have outgrown me. It 
is so horrid to be a perfectly ordinary per- 
son.^^ 

As Betty moved off, the expression on her 
companion’s face did not suggest that he 
thought of her as entirely ordinary. 


CHAPTER IV 


Temptation 

are perfectly absurd and I 
I haven’t the faintest intention of 
confiding in any one of you.” 
And Polly O’Neill, with her cheeks flam- 
ing, rushed away from a group of girls 
and into her own bedroom, closing the 
door and locking it behind her. 

This winter at boarding school in New 
York City had not been in the least what 
she had anticipated. Perhaps the char- 
acter of the school she and her mother 
had chosen had been unfortunate. Yet 
they had selected it with the greatest 
care and it was expensive beyond Polly’s 
wildest dreams. For, apart from her own 
small inheritance, her stepfather, Mr. Whar- 
ton, had insisted on being allowed to con- 
tribute to her support, and not to appear 
too ungracious both to her mother and to 
him, his offer had been accepted. Yet 
Polly did not consider herself any greater 
( 47 ) 


48 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


success in thus masquerading as a rich 
girl than she had been as a poor one. 
Was she never to be satisfied? Her school 
companions were all wealthy and few of 
them had any ideas beyond clothes and 
society. To them Polly had seemed a 
kind of curiosity. She was so impetuous, 
so brilliant, so full of a thousand moods. 
Betty Ashton had once said that to know 
Polly O’Neill was a liberal education, and 
yet in order to know her one ought to 
have had a liberal education beforehand. 

Today during the recreation hour at 
^^Miss Elkins’ Finishing School,” which 
was Polly’s present abode, there had been 
a sudden discussion of plans for the future. 
And Polly, partly because she was in a 
contradictory mood and partly because she 
really wished it to be known, had boldly 
announced herseK as poor as a church 
mouse with no chance of not starving to 
death in the future unless she could learn 
to make her own living. 

And this had started the onslaught of 
questions from which she had just torn 
herself away. 

For Polly had absolutely determined not 


TEMPTATION 


49 


to confide in any one of her new com- 
panions her ambition to go upon the 
stage. They would not understand and 
would only be stupid and inquisitive. 
Why, had they not worried her nearly to 
death simply because of her acquaintance 
with Miss Margaret Adams? For one day 
the great actress had driven up to the 
school and taken Polly for a drive. And 
ever afterwards the other girls were deter- 
mined to find out how and when she 
had met her and what she was like in 
every smallest particular, until Polly was 
nearly frantic. 

Now in her own room, which was a 
small one, but belonged to her alone, the 
girl dashed cold water on her face until 
she began to feel her temper cooling down. 
Then with a book in her lap she planted 
herself in a low chair. The book was 
a collection of Camp Fire songs which 
Sylvia Wharton had given her. And 
although Polly could not sing, the poetry 
and inspiration of them was so lovely 
that she felt they might be a consoling 
influence. 

Nevertheless Polly did not commence 


50 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


reading at once. Instead, her thin shoul- 
ders drooped forward pathetically, and put- 
ting one elbow on her knee she rested her 
pointed chin in her hand. 

For she was unhappy without any real 
reason in the world. Polly O^Neill was 
one of the sensitive and emotional persons 
who must always be more or less miser- 
able in the wrong environment. She did 
not like being at boarding school and yet 
she did not wish to return to Woodford 
to live in her stepfather ^s house in cir- 
cumstances so different from those of her 
old life. Besides, had not Miss Adams 
advised that she spend several years away 
from Woodford in order to see more of 
the outside world and its myriad types 
of men and women? She could not ask 
to be allowed to come back home now, 
after the fight she had made to leave. 
Moreover, she was learning many things 
that might be useful to her as an actress. 
Miss Adams herself had said so. There 
was no fault with the opportunities for 
study at Miss Elkins’, only with the inter- 
est of the girls. She herself was working 
hard at French and German and physical 


TEMPTATION 


51 ' 


culture and was having some special private 
teaching in elocution by a master recom- 
mended by Miss Adams. 

No, Polly did not intend to give up. 
Only she was trying to decide whether 
or not to return to Woodford for the 
Christmas holidays. She was longing to 
see her mother and MoUie and Betty 
Ashton. Yet Frank Wharton would be 
at home and she and Frank had quarreled 
all the time that they had been in the 
house together during the past sununer. 
And her mother and Mollie were so wrap- 
ped up in one another and in the splendid 
new home and in Mr. Wharton! Polly 
felt herself almost an outsider when she 
thought of the days when they had lived 
in their own little cottage just opposite 
the Princess. 

Then, at the thought of Betty Ashton, 
the slightly hard look in Polly’s Irish blue 
eyes faded. Of the Princess’ understand- 
ing and affection she could always feel 
sure. And what a brave fight she was 
making! Every letter from her mother 
or Mollie or from any one of their old 
Camp Fire circle had something admiring 


52 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


to say of her. And yet she and MoUie 
had always thought of their Princess as 
only a spoiled darling, beautiful and meant 
only for cherishing/ Ah well, the Princess 
was really an aristocrat in the old meaning 
of the word. She had never been in the 
least like these New York girls, caring 
for money for its own sake and feeling 
superior to other people just because of 
her money. Betty had birth and beauty 
and brains. 

Suddenly Polly dashed the tears from 
her eyes and with a smile jumped to her 
feet, dropping her Camp Fire book. There 
was no use sitting there and thinking of 
all the virtues that her Princess possessed 
that began with This was Friday 

afternoon and she was free to do what 
she liked. Esther was living in a board- 
ing house not far away, and she had not 
seen her in two weeks. And in all the 
world there was nothing Esther liked to 
talk about so much as Betty. Besides, 
if Esther were going home for the holi- 
days, why, Polly felt that she would rather 
like to have some one persuade her into 
making her own decision. 


TEMPTATION 


53 


Is it good or evil fortune that makes 
one so readily influenced by outside con- 
ditions? The December afternoon was 
cold and brilliant; and in few places is 
the climate of early winter so stimulat- 
ing as in New York City. Esther was 
not at home, and for a few minutes her 
visitor felt disappointed. But the streets 
were so beautiful and alluring and there 
were so many people out! It was true 
that Polly had received permission only 
to call upon her friend, but what wrong 
could there be in her taking a walk? She 
had only to keep straight along Broadway 
and there could be no possible chance of 
getting lost. Polly was not in the least 
timid or unable to take care of herself. 
She was a girl from a small town, and yet 
no one could have imagined that she had 
not been a New Yorker all her life, except 
for her quick and eager interest in the 
sights about her. 

No one noticed or molested Polly in 
the least. It was only that in her usual 
unthinking fashion she flung herself into 
the way of temptation. Farther down 
Broadway than she had ever been before, 


54 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Polly stopped for a moment to look more 
closely at a group of girls. Most of them 
were several years older than herself. 
They were standing close together near 
a closed door, and yet only occasionally 
did one of them make a remark to the 
other; for apparently they were strangers 
to one another. 

At first the girls themselves attracted 
Polly^s attention because the larger num- 
ber appeared so nervous and anxious. 
More than half of them had their faces 
rouged and powdered and were fashion- 
ably dressed, yet even when they^smiled 
their expressions were uneasy. 

They interested the country girl im- 
mensely. In order not to seem rude or 
inquisitive she pretended to wish to gaze 
into a shop window near them. Then, 
as they continued waiting and showed no 
sign of what they were waiting for, Polly 
O^NeilFs curiosity overcame her good man- 
ners. Another girl had separated herseK 
from the group and was standing within 
two feet of Polly, also pretending to stare 
into the same window. 

Polly edged closer to her. The young 


TEMPTATION 


,55 


woman must have been nearly, twenty- 
five. She had been pretty once, yet already 
her face was haggard and she had circles 
under her big brown eyes. Unexpectedly 
Polly smiled at her, and there was always 
something almost irresistible in Polly’s 
smile. 

“Could you, would you mind telling 
me why so many girls are standing here in 
this one particular spot?” she inquired. 
nt is a cold day when one is still. And 
yet I have been here almost ten minutes 
and no one has even started to move away.” 

“We are waiting to try to get jobs,” 
the older girl answered listlessly. “And 
we have come sooner than we were told 
because each one of us hoped to get ahead 
of the other.” 

“Jobs?” Polly repeated stupidly. “ What 
kind of work is it that you are looking for?” 

“Oh, theatrical jobs,” the young w^oman 
explained. “It’s coming on to be Christ- 
mas time and the managers are putting on 
extras for the holidays.” 

She turned away from her questioner, 
believing that she had heard a faint noise 
at the door near which they were lingering. 


56 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


A quick tug at her coat attracted her 
attention again. 

'^Can any one apply for a position who 
wants it?^^ Polly queried. Her eyes were 
shining, her cheeks were crimson and her 
breath coming in kind of broken gasps 
as though she were frightened. 

But the magic door had opened at last 
and the older woman had no time to waste. 
^^Oh, yes, any one can apply, she returned 
with a kind of hardness. And then she 
failed to observe that the girl she had been 
talking with was following close behind her. 

Polly herself hardly realized what she 
was doing. Once more she had yielded 
to that old wretched habit of hers, of 
acting first and then thinking afterwards. 
Like a flash of lightning it had but this 
instant occurred to her that more than 
anything she would like to see inside a 
theatrical manager's oflSce. It would be 
like placing the tips of one^s toes on the 
promised land. Of course, Polly knew 
perfectly well that she was being reckless, 
only she would not allow herself time to 
consider this point of view. She would 
simply slip in with these other girls and 


TEMPTATION 


57 


pretend that she would like a position 
should she be forced into it. As she had 
had no experience, there could be no possi- 
bility of her getting an engagement. Ten 
minutes afterwards she would slip out 
again and return to school. 

With a dozen or more other girls, Polly 
was the next moment ushered into a room 
that was quite dark and had only a few 
chairs in it. There they were told to wait 
until the manager could be free to speak 
to them. So Polly crowded herself into 
the farthest, darkest corner and immedi- 
ately her heart began to thump and her 
knees to shake, while she wished herself 
a thousand miles away. 

What would her mother say to this 
latest of her escapades; and MoUie and 
Betty? What would Miss Adams, for that 
matter, think of her? She was an actress 
herself; but of course Polly never imagined 
that she had started her career in any such 
humble fashion. 

Coming partially to her senses, Polly 
started hurriedly toward the closed door. 
There was no reason in the world for her 
remaining in this room unless she wished 


58 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


it. But just as she turned the knob the 
manager entered from the hall. And 
PoUy^s curiosity got the better of her 
again. She would stay just half a minute 
longer and see what happened. 


CHAPTER V 


The Way of the Wilful 

W HEN Polly O^Neill came out into 
the street again, she did not 
know whether she was walking 
on the sidewalk, in the air, or at the bottom 
of the sea. But because of a certain 
thrilling excitement she felt that she must 
have wings and because of a heavy weight 
inside her that she must be in the depth 
of the sea. 

For Polly had just signed an engagement 
to act for two weeks in a Christmas panto- 
mime. 

It sounds incredible. And it was pos- 
sibly as unwise and headstrong a thing 
as a girl could well do. And yet Polly 
had originally no actual intention or desire 
to do wrong. Simply she had yielded to a 
sudden impulse, to an intense curiosity. 
But now things were different; for Polly 
was realizing her wilfulness completely, 
and instead of repenting and turning back 

( 59 ) 


.60 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


to confess her folly, was every moment 
trying to plan by what method her purpose 
could be accomplished. 

Not for anything in the world would her 
mother give her consent to her experiment. 
And that in itself should have been a suffi- 
cient argument against it. Yet Polly 
explained to herself that, after all, there 
could not be any great harm in doing 
what she so much wished, provided that 
she made confession afterwards. She was 
almost eighteen, and thousands of girls 
in New York City were earning their 
living, who were years younger than she. 
Perhaps it might even do her good to 
find out what this stage life really was 
like — whether it was as fascinating as she 
dre^imed, or all tinsel as most grown 
people were so fond of telling her. 

No, the question that was uppermost 
with Polly O’Neill was not in connection 
with her decision. It was how her deci- 
sion might best be carried out. 

Fortunately she had been writing that 
she did not believe that she would come 
home for the Christmas holidays. She 
did wish to see her mother and Mollie 


THE WAY OF THE WILFUL 61 


and Betty, of course, and had almost 
given way to this longing only an hour 
before. But now, had not fate itself 
intervened, flinging her into the path of 
her desire? And Polly was Irish and had 
always declared that she believed in the 
leadings of fate, even when her mother 
and sister had insisted that fate and her 
own wish were too often confused in her 
mind. 

Had she not hidden herself in the corner 
when the theatrical manager entered the 
room, with every intention of running away 
as soon as she could escape unobserved? 
And then had he not suddenly swooped 
down upon her, selecting her from the 
dozens of other applicants? Polly was 
not exactly sure of what had happened, 
except that the man had said that she 
looked the part of the character he was 
after. The fact that she had confessed 
having had no stage experience had not 
even deterred him. The new play was to 
be chiefly for young people and the manager 
particularly required youthful actors and 
actresses. 

The play to be produced was the drama- 


62 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


tization of a wonderful old Bohemian 
fairy story, which Polly remembered to 
have read years before, called ''The Castle 
of Life/’ The story is that of a little 
boy, Graziozo, brought up by his grand- 
mother, whom he loves better than all else 
in the world. Then one day he sees that 
the grandmother is growing old and fears 
that she must soon leave him. And so 
he sets out to find "The Castle of Life” 
in order once more to bring back youth 
to the old woman. The play follows his 
adventures on the road to the castle, and 
includes his meeting with two fairies — ^the 
Fairy of the Woods and the Fairy of the 
Water. Polly was to impersonate the 
wood spirit. 

Her appearance did suggest the char- 
acter, though naturally she could not appre- 
ciate this fact. But there was always 
something a bit eerie and fantastic about 
her, something not exactly of the every- 
day world — ^her high cheekbones and thin, 
emotional face with its scarlet lips and 
intense expression faintly foreshadowing an 
unusual future. 

But Polly at the present moment was 


THE WAY OF THE WILFUL 63 


not feeling in the least unusual, only 
rather more self-wiUed and more calculat- 
ing. Never could she recall having deliber- 
ately deceived any one before in her entire 
life. And yet to accomplish her present 
purpose there was no other way than the 
way of deception. No one in Woodford 
must guess at her reason for remaining in 
New York diming the holidays, nor must 
Miss Elkins have any possible cause for 
suspicion. Of course she could not stay 
on at boarding school. That idea was 
utterly ridiculous. She would never be 
allowed to go out for a single evening 
alone. Already her right to liberty had 
been considerably overreached by this walk 
of hers down town. And what she had 
done during the walk! The offender smiled 
rather wickedly at the thought of the 
consternation and excitement that the dis- 
covery of her act would create. Home 
she would go to Woodford then to stay 
indefinitely! 

But Polly did not mean to be found out. 
She meant to have her little taste of eman- 
cipation and then go back into routine 
again, until she was old enough for a larger 


64 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


freedom. So for this reason, although she 
should have returned to school an hour 
before, she continued walking slowly, de- 
vising and rejecting a dozen plans. It 
was going to be tremendously diflSjcult to 
accomplish her purpose. But this she had 
foreseen five minutes after she had promised 
to accept the theatrical manager's offer. 
However she would ^'find a way." She 
remembered how often the Princess had 
said that she had more talent than “Senti- 
mental Tommy" in this particular direc- 
tion. 

She reached Miss Elkins' school and 
received five minutes' scolding from that 
lady, in the meekest spirit, still without 
having any idea of what she could possibly 
do to accomplish her design. 

All evening she talked so little and her 
attention was so concentrated upon the 
lesson which she appeared to be studying, 
that her school companions left her entirely 
alone. Polly's passion for stud3dng had 
always been regarded as an eccentricity. 
But now since she had announced on that 
afternoon that she had her own living to 
make there was possibly some excuse for 


THE WAY OF THE WILFUL 65 


her industry. Nevertheless the girls felt 
more convinced than ever that she was 
not in the least like any of the rest of them 
and, although rather fascinating and un- 
usual, not a person whom one would care 
to know intimately. 

The difference in her manner and expres- 
sion that night attracted the attention of 
one of the teachers — ^the girks face was so 
tense and white, her blue eyes showed such 
dark shadows beneath them. It was owing 
to this teacher’s advice that PoUy was 
allowed to leave the study hall an hour 
earlier than usual and go to her own room 
and to bed. 

She was not feeling particularly weU. 
Her head did ache and her conscience 
troubled her the least little bit, notwith- 
standing she had not the faintest inten- 
tion of surrender. With hot cheeks and 
cold hands she lay still for a long time 
until the noises of the other girls retiring 
had quieted down and the big house was 
silent. Then Polly suddenly sat up in 
bed. A moment later she had crawled 
out on the floor and lighted a candle by her 
writing desk. The electric lights had been 


66 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


turned off for the night. But even in the 
pitch darkness Polly would still have com- 
posed her letter. For an idea had at last 
come to her. And if only she could get 
just one person to accede to it her way 
would be plain. The one person might be 
difficult. Polly was perfectly aware of 
this, but then she had great faith in her 
own powers of persuasion. 


CHAPTER VI 


Esther’s Room 

J UST above the small alcohol lamp the 
teakettle was beginning to sing. On 
a table near-by were teacups and 
saucers, with one plate of sandwiches 
covered over with a small napkin, and 
another of cookies. 

Several times a tall girl glanced at the 
clock and then walked across the room to 
take the kettle off the stove, only to place 
it back again the next instant. 

Then at last she seated herself by an open 
piano. There was very little furniture 
in the room except the piano, a small cot 
and the table. Yet it had an atmosphere 
of home and comfort, such as some persons 
are able to give to a tent in a desert. And 
standing in a row at the back of the same 
tea table were three candles in ten-cent- 
store glass candlesticks, waiting to be 
lighted. The afternoon was a dismal one, 
with occasional flurries of snow; so that 

( 67 ) 


68 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


when the proper time came for the candle- 
lighting, the flames would not be ungrateful. 

But in order to make the waiting seem 
less long the girl was evidently trying to 
distract her attention by practicing her 
music. Several times she sang over the 
scales. And then, dissatisfied with her own 
work, repeated them until finally her voice 
rose with unusual resonance and power. 
Then, after another slight pause, she drifted 
almost unconsciously into the words of a 
song: 

“Bum, fire, bum! 

Flicker, flicker, flame! 

Whose hand above this blaze is lifted 
Shall be with magic touch engifted, 

To warm the hearts of lonely mortals 
Who stand without their open portals. 

The torch shall draw them to the fire 
Higher, higher 
By desire. 

Whoso shall stand by this hearthstone, 
Flame-fanned, 

Shall never, never stand alone; 

Whose house is dark and bare and cold, 
Whose house is cold, 

This is his own. 

Flicker, flicker, flicker, flame; 

Bum, fire bum!” 


ESTHER^S ROOM 


69 


She had not heard the door open softly 
nor even noticed the figure that crept 
softly into the small room. 

But now a pair of gloved hands were 
clasped eagerly together and an enthu- 
siastic voice said: 

Esther Crippen, that is the loveliest song 
in all the world and you are the loveliest 
singer of it! How glad I am to have arrived 
at just this moment! Why, your little 
room makes me feel that it is a real refuge 
from all that is dark and bare and cold. 
And you surely are with the ^magic touch 
engifted to warm the hearts of lonely 
mortals’ with that beautiful voice of yours.” 

And Polly O’Neill, putting one hand on 
each of Esther’s cheeks, kissed her with 
unexpected ardor. 

It made Esther flush and tremble slightly 
as she rose to greet her long-desired guest. 
Any compliment made Esther shy and 
one from Polly more than from another 
person. For although each girl admired 
the other’s talents and character, they 
had never understood each other especially 
well. Esther always seemed to Polly far 
too sober and almost too unselfish and self- 


70 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


effacing, while Polly to the quieter girl 
had all the brilliance and unreliability of 
a will-o^-the-wisp. Before coming to New 
York for the winter their intimacy had been 
due largely to their mutual devotion to 
Betty; but now, both lonely and both in a 
new environment, they had been greatly 
drawn together. Polly’s occasional visits 
had been one of Esther’s few sources of 
pleasure outside her work. 

^^How charming you are looking, Polly,” 
Esther began, taking off her guest’s dark 
coat and hat, and seeing her emerge in a 
crimson woolen dress, which made a bright 
spot of color in the shabby room. Polly, 
you must remember, was only pretty on 
occasions; but this afternoon was certainly 
one of her good-looking days. The cold 
had made her pale cheeks flame and given 
a softer glow to her eyes. 

am simply ravenous, Esther, and 
dying for your delicious tea,” Polly next 
remarked, following her hostess to the 
tea table and taking her seat, while Esther 
poured out the boiling water. ^^It is a 
kind of a homesick day and I have been 
wishing that we were going to have a meet- 


ESTHER’S ROOM 


71 


ing of our old Sunrise Hill Camp Fire 
circle. What wouldn’t you give for a 
glimpse of the Princess this afternoon?” 

Esther’s lips twitched as she lighted her 
three candles. 

Almost anything I possess,” she re- 
turned. 

^^But you are going to see her pretty 
soon? You are going back to Woodford 
for Christmas?” Polly tried to hide her 
own nervousness in putting this simple 
question. With her eyes shining over the 
edge of her cup she continued slowly 
drinking her tea, so that the rest of her face 
could not be seen. 

But Esther was not paying her any special 
attention. Quietly she shook her head. 
^'No, Polly, I am not going home. I am 
so sorry, for I wanted to dreadfully. But 
my music lessons are so expensive that 
father does not feel he can afford to let 
me come. I haven’t yet had the courage 
to write and break the news to the Princess. 
She is fond of me, don’t you think so, 
Polly? She will be sorry that I can’t be 
with her for the holidays? Of course I 
know she does not care for me as she does 


72 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


for you. I shall never expect that. But 
it does mean so much to me to feel sure of 
her affection. 

Polly frowned in a slightly puzzled 
fashion. Esther^s adoration even of her 
beloved Betty seemed a little unnatural. 
Why should one girl care so much about 
the attitude of another one? She loved 
Betty herself, of course, and Betty loved 
her. Yet she doubted very much if either 
one worried over the emotions of the other. 

^^Oh, yes, Esther,’^ Polly returned a 
trifle impatiently. ^^Of course Betty is 
devoted to you. Why shouldnT she be? 
Really, I do think you would let her almost 
trample upon you if she liked. Only Betty 
never would like to hurt any one, thank 
heaven! But I am glad to hear you are 
not going home for the Christmas holidays, 
because I am not going either.’’ 

There was nothing so remarkable in this 
statement that it should make PoUy turn 
white and then red again. But fortunately 
the three Camp Fire candles, ^^Work, 
Health and Love,” were now flickering 
so that the elder girl could not get a clear 
vision of the other’s face. 


ESTHER^S ROOM 


73 


But instead of appearing pleased over 
this news Esther seemed disappointed. 

am so sorry, for Betty’s sake,” she 
returned. ''She wouldn’t mind my not 
being with her so much if she only might 
have you.” 

Polly shrugged her thin shoulders in a 
fashion she had when vexed. 

"0 Esther, I think you might have 
been polite enough to say that you would 
be glad to have me in town if you were to 
be here — particularly when I came to ask 
you if I might spend the holidays with 
you.” 

"Spend the holidays with me?” Esther 
repeated in rather a stupid fashion. Nat- 
urally she was puzzled as to just why a 
girl in Polly’s position should elect to spend 
her Christmas vacation in a cheap New 
York boarding house with another girl for 
whom she had no special sentiment. 

"Why in the world do you want to 
remain in the city with me?” she asked 
again, too honest to pretend that pleasure 
was her first sentiment until she got a more 
definite understanding of the situation. 

But Polly was now making no effort to 


74 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


devote her attention either to eating or 
drinking. Instead she had rested both 
elbows on the table and was looking at 
her companion with the half-pleading, half- 
commanding expression that both Mollie 
and Betty knew so well. 

^'Promise not to say anything until I 
have finished?” she began coaxingly. ^'For 
you see it is to explain why I want to stay 
with you that made me write to ask you 
to make this engagement with me for this 
afternoon.” 


CHAPTER VII 


The Threat 

HEN you refuse to help me or to 
I keep my secret?’’ Polly O’Neill 
^ protested indignantly. Really, 
Esther, I never knew any one with such a 
gift for considering herself her sister’s 
keeper. We belong to the same Camp 
Fire Club. And if that means anything I 
thought it was loyalty and service toward 
one another. 

“ *As fagots are brought from the forest 

Firmly held by the sinews which bind them, 

So cleave to these others, your sisters, 

Wherever, whenever you find them.^ ” 

Esther had walked across the room and 
had her back turned during this recitation. 
But now she moved around, facing her vis- 
itor until it was Polly’s eyes that dropped 
before her own. The older girl had always 
the dignity that comes from truth and 
sincerity. 


( 75 ) 


76 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


^^Don^t be absurd, Polly, she said, 
speaking quietly, but with no lack of 
decision. ''You know as well as I do that 
loyalty has nothing to do with aiding one 
another to do what one does not believe to 
be right. I donT want to preach. Yet 
don’t you think perhaps you are breaking 
a part of our Camp Fire law? 'Be Trust- 
worthy. This law teaches us not to imder- 
take enterprises rashly.’ ” 

"Oh, please hush, Esther,’? PoUy 
insisted. "There is no use in our quarrel- 
ing, and we are sure to if you go on 
preaching like that. I told you what I 
have made up my mind to do. If you 
don’t wish to help me, that of course is 
your affair. All I have the right to 
demand is, that what I told you in the 
strictest confidence you repeat to no one 
else.” 

She picked up her coat and began slowly 
buttoning it, waiting for Esther’s reply^ 
which did not come at once. 

"I don’t know whether I can promise 
you even that,” the older girl answered 
finally. Her face was white and she 
moved her hands in the old nervous fash- 


THE THREAT 


77 


ion that Betty had almost broken her of. 
“I don’t suppose you can understand, 
Polly, what an almost dangerous thing you 
are about to undertake. And without 
your mother knowing it! 0 Polly, please 
don’t ! Why, if anything should happen to 
you what would she say to me or Molly 
and Betty, if knowing your intention I did 
not warn them?” 

Polly was hke a hot flame in her anger. 
In her life Esther scarcely remembered ever 
having seen any one in such intense yet 
quiet passion. AU the blue seemed to have 
gone out of her visitor’s eyes until they 
were almost black. Her lips were drawn 
and although she tried to control her voice, 
it quivered like a too-tightly-drawn violin 
string. 

^'Esther,” she said, shall not leave 
this room until I have your solemn prom- 
ise. Perhaps you don’t know anything 
about the standards of conduct between 
people of birth and breeding. You were 
brought up in an orphan asylum and had 
no mother. Whether you disapprove of 
me or not makes no difference. I am not 
objecting to your disapproval. I can 


78 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


perfectly understand that. But what I 
absolutely wiU not endure is for you to 
tell my secret because it happens to strike 
your conscience that that is the right 
thing to do. My secret belongs to me as 
absolutely as my clothes or any of my 
other possessions do. And because you 
chance not to approve of it or of them is 
no reason why you should steal them from 
me and give them away to other people.” 

Again Esther was silent and her eyes 
filled with tears. What was the use of 
arguing with Polly when she was in this 
mood? Yet there were so many things 
that she could honestly say. And one of 
them, that if she had had the good fortune 
to have a mother, she at least would not have 
tried to deceive her as Polly was doing. 

However Esther was not sure that the 
latter part of her companion’s argument 
was not true. Had she the right to betray 
Polly’s confidence, even though she might 
consider it for her good? For Polly had 
begun her revelation by insisting that 
what she told be kept in the strictest 
secrecy, and she had listened with that 
understanding. 


THE THREAT 


79 


Unfortunately Esther^s failure to reply 
did not strike her visitor as indicating a 
change in her point of view. Polly flung 
herself angrily down into a chair, as 
though intent upon beginning a siege. 
She was trying in a measure to control her 
temper, realizing how ashamed she usually 
felt after the flare of it was past. Still 
she did honorably consider that Esther^s 
attitude in the present situation was the 
wrong one. Perhaps she was being dis- 
obedient, wilful, wicked even. Yet she 
had made up her mind to take the con- 
sequences (at least the consequences that 
she was now able to foresee). And she 
had no idea of being frustrated in her pur- 
pose by an outside person, whose assistance 
she had been foolish enough to ask. No, 
some way must be devised that would 
force Esther into silence. 

Polly glanced desperately about the 
small room. There was a big photograph 
of the Princess, smiling at her from the 
wall, the Princess at her loveliest, with her 
exquisitely refined features, her delicate, 
high-bred air. She turned away from it 
rather quickly to look again at her com^ 


80 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


panion. Goodness, what a contrast there 
still was between the two girls! They had 
believed that Esther was improving a little 
in her appearance. Yet just now worry 
and uncertainty made her seem plainer 
even than usual. And she had on an ugly 
but thoroughly useful chocolate-colored 
dress that Betty would have made her 
throw into the fire at once. 

Betty, it was always Betty with Esther 
Crippen!’^ If only she could reach Esther 
in some way through their friend. This 
was an ugly thought of PoUy^s. She was 
ashamed of it and yet felt herself driven to 
using almost any means toward attaining 
her end. 

^^Look here, Esther Crippen,'' she began, 
breaking the silence first. “I wonder 
if it has ever occurred to you that you may 
some day have a secret in your life (or 
you may have one already for all that I 
know), which you want more than anything 
to keep hidden from people. Say you 
particularly wished Betty never to find it 
out. Well, suppose I discovered your 
secret, suppose I knew about it right now, 
would you want me to tell Betty everything 


THE THREAT 


81 


that I had found out just because I de- 
cided that it would be the right thing to 
do?^’ 

Polly happened to be staring into her own 
lap as she delivered this speech, feeling 
none too proud of it and having to trust 
to her imagination as she went along. 
Now, however, she glanced up into the 
face of the other girl, who was standing 
near her. 

Then with an exclamation of regret, 
almost of fear, Polly jumped to her feet. 

“Good heavens! Esther, what is the 
matter with you? Are you ill, do you feel 
like you were going to faint? If you are 
sick why on earth haven’t you told me 
before? We could talk over this business 
of mine any time.” 

And Polly, forgetting her anger, put her 
arm reassuringly about her former friend, 
fairly leading her to a chair. Esther 
continued staring at her, with a deathly 
white face, evidently trying to speak, but 
not able. Then suddenly the girl collapsed 
and dropping her head on her arm began to 
cry. She was ordinarily self-restrained; 
and being brought up in an orphan asylum 

6 


82 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


among people who took no interest in her 
emotions she had learned unusual self- 
control. Probably only three or four per- 
sons had ever seen her give way like this 
before in her life. So she did not cry 
easily, but in a kind of shaken, broken 
fashion that brought a remorseful Polly 
on the floor at her feet. 

^^What on earth have I said that has 
hurt you so, Esther?^^ she begged. 
know I am a wretched little beast who does 
or says ’most anything sometimes in order 
to get my own way. But of course I 
don’t know any secret of yours and if I 
did I should never tell. I only like to 
threaten things because I’m cross. You 
see I don’t believe in telling secrets.” 

This was a Polly-like way of apologizing 
and yet driving in her own claim at the 
same time. If only at this moment Esther 
had had the Princess’ understanding of 
Polly O’Neill’s character, most certainly 
she would have laughed. But Esther could 
not pull herseK together so quickly. A 
few moments later, however, she put her 
hands on Polly’s shoulders and in the 
face of all that had just happened, kissed her. 


THE THREAT 


88 


^'No, Polly/’ she said, know that if 
ever you should make up your mind that 
there was something, which I thought 
best should never be known, you would 
never tell it, even if I betray your secret 
now. Perhaps we don’t agree about some 
things. But you could never be revenge- 
ful. I am sure I don’t know what I ought 
to do. Of course you have the right to 
choose for yourself. I — wish you wouldn’t 
do what you have decided upon. But if 
I don’t tell and yet don’t let you stay 
here with me, what on earth would you do 
about this theatrical scheme?” 

^^Why, go to some other boarding house 
for two weeks,” Polly replied calmly. ‘‘I 
am sure that is exactly what you are doing, 
boarding in New York and going on with 
your work. Of course your work happens 
to be studying music at present, but you 
have already simg at two church concerts 
and ” 

This time Esther did laugh. ^^Well, 
church concerts are hardly to be compared 
with the stage, Polly. And please look 
in your mirror and remember that I am 
I and you are you. But of course you 


84 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


realize that if you will go on with this whim 
of yours, I am not going to let you live 
in any place by yourself. You would be 
sure to get iU or something dreadful might 
happen. No, I shall beg you every minute 
till the time comes, not to do what you 
must know would worry your mother. 
But if you still persist, why, you are coming 
right here to stay with me and I shall be 
your shadow every moment until you go 
back to school.'^ 

Polly jumped up hastily. ^^What an 
impolite suggestion for a hostess!^' she 
murmured, pretending that the seriousness 
of the situation was now entirely past. 
^^Go back to school? Dear me, that is 
what I must do this very minute! Good- 
bye.’^ And kissing Esther hastily on the 
hair, PoUy seized her hat and fled out the 
door. 

Yet halfway down the long stairs the 
girl hesitated and stopped for an instant 
as if intending to return. 

'^Perhaps I ought to give up and be 
good for once,’' she whispered to herself. 
^'It won’t be fair, and mother and Mollie 
and Betty may be angry with Esther for 


THE THREAT 


85 


not telling. Even if I have the right to get 
into trouble myself, I haven’t the right 
to drag in other people. But, oh dear! 
what fun it will be! And with Esther for 
my duenna, things are sure to turn out 
all right.” 

On the lowest steps Polly passed a small 
boy hobbling up toward Esther’s room. 
He was evidently a boy from the streets, 
as he was shabbily dressed and carried 
half a dozen papers under his arm. But 
there was a hungry, eager look in his face 
that Polly remembered having seen some- 
times in Esther’s in those early days of her 
first coming to Mrs. Ashton’s home. So 
straightway she guessed that the boy was 
some child, whom Esther had discovered, 
with a talent and love for music and that 
she was giving him lessons in her leisure 
moments. 


CHAPTER VIII 


Preparations for the Holidays 

a UT if you won^t come, Betty dear, 
I shan’t wish to give the party,” 
Meg Everett announced in a dis- 
appointed fashion. With Polly and Esther 
not to be here, there are so few of our old 
Camp Fire circle anyhow. And you see 
I only wanted to have our club and a few 
of John’s young men friends. The idea 
is that we girls are to cook the entire dinner 
and then just talk or dance or play games 
afterwards. It is not to be anything like 
a real party.” 

Betty smiled. She and Meg and Mollie 
O’Neill were taking a winter tramp through 
the woods in the direction of the Sunrise 
Cabin, which had been closed for the past 
six months. 

^‘1 should dearly love to come, Meg,” 
Betty confessed. There is no use in my 
pretending that I shouldn’t feel des- 
perately lonely with the thought of your 

( 86 ) 


HOLIDAY PREPARATIONS 87 


having such a good time without me. But 
mother ’’ 

Mollie gave her arm an affectionate 
squeeze. There, Betty Ashton, that is 
just exactly what I knew you would say. 
So I talked the whole matter over with 
your mother myself first. And she declares 
that there isn^t any reason why you should 
not accept Meg^s invitation. She is quite 
sure that your father would never have 
wished you not to be as happy as 
possible. You have had trouble enough, 
goodness knows! And then the extra 
disappointment of PoUy’s and Esther’s 
remaining in New York! I am glad enough 
Meg is going to give a party, and I hope 
there will be dozens of delightful things 
that Polly O’Neill will miss. What on 
earth do you suppose has possessed her to 
want to stay on with Esther?” 

And Mollie sighed. The three months 
without her sister may have passed by 
in greater peacefulness than with her, 
but then Polly always added a zest and 
flavor to existence. And this was the long- 
est time that the two girls had ever been 
separated. 


88 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


'^Oh, I don^t know. She must have had 
some very good reason/^ Betty returned. 
^ Tolly wrote me that she had, and now we 
must not believe that she did not love us 
as much as ever. She wasn^t able to explain 
the particulars just at present; but if we 
only trust her and forgive her some day we 
will understand. 

MoUie frowned. With a much quieter 
and more amiable temperament than her 
twin, yet nearly eighteen years of intimate 
living with her had given her a pretty clear 
comprehension of her sister's character. 
Privately Mollie was puzzled over Polly's 
behavior and a good deal worried. It was 
not like Polly to have conceived so sudden 
a devotion to Esther as to be unwilling to 
leave her for two weeks. And her claim 
that she might not be particularly happy 
at home because of her stepbrother's pres- 
ence was not convincing. For Betty Ash- 
ton had invited Polly to be her guest. No, 
Polly certainly had some special design in 
staying on in New York. Of this Mollie 
was completely convinced. But what the 
purpose was, neither from her own imagin- 
ings nor from any hint dropped by her 


HOLIDAY PREPARATIONS 89 


sister’s letters, could she get the slightest 
clue. 

The three girls had come to a narrow 
path through the woods, and for a little 
while were compelled to walk in single 
file. For a few moments they were silent, 
each one busy with her own thoughts, 
MoUie happening to be in the middle. 

“I believe I’ll ask Billy what he thinks,” 
she remarked suddenly aloud. And then 
she bit her lips, blushing until the very tips 
of her ears grew warm. For Meg and Betty 
were both laughing in the most ridiculous 
way. 

^^Is it as bad as that, Mollie?” Meg 
teased. 

“Ask Billy what he thinks on one or all 
subjects, dear?” Betty queried. 

To both of which questions Mollie natur- 
ally deigned no reply. 

She and Billy Webster were extremely 
good friends. Indeed, they seemed always 
to have been since the day of their first 
meeting, when , she had bound up his 
injured head. And this winter, with Polly 
away and Betty so busy and Meg wrapped 
up in keeping house and Sylvia spending 


90 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


all her spare hours in studying with Dr. 
Barton when not at school, she had enjoyed 
the walks and talks with the young man 
perhaps more than usual. But it was not 
because of their intimacy that she had 
considered putting this problem of Polly^s 
failure to return home before him. Her 
reason was that in their long conversations 
about her sister, BiUy had always seemed 
not only to be interested in Polly but able 
to understand her disposition peculiarly 
well. So it was stupid for her two friends 
to have taken her foolish exclamation as 
meaning anything personal. 

The next ten minutes Betty and Meg 
had rather a difficult time in making peace; 
for Mollie had not a strong sense of humor — 
a fact which both girls should have remem- 
bered. But because she was always so 
gentle and kind herself, no one of her 
friends could bear the idea of hurting her 
feelings under any circumstances. 

However while Betty was in the midst 
of apologizing, Billy Webster himself came 
swinging along the same path from the 
opposite direction. He had his gun over his 
shoulder and half a dozen birds in his hand. 


HOLIDAY PREPARATIONS 91 


^^Who is it taking my name in vain?’' he 
demanded of Betty. 

And Mollie had a dreadful moment of 
fearing that Betty might betray what they 
had been talking about. However, as 
nothing of the kind happened, ten minutes 
later Meg and Betty were walking ahead 
deep in conversation about the party, 
w^hile Mollie and Billy strolled after them 
only a few feet behind. 

The young man had been on his way 
into Woodford to divide the product of 
his day’s hunting between Mrs. Ashton 
and Mrs. O’Neill. Now, hearing that the 
girls were on a pilgrimage to Sunrise 
Cabin, he had been invited to accompany 
them. 

^^No, it won’t be like a meeting of our 
Camp Fire Club, Meg,” Betty argued 
thoughtfully, after having satisfied herself 
by a glance over her shoulder that Mollie 
and Billy were too absorbed in each other 
to take any notice of them. “I have been 
coming to our Camp Fire Club meetings 
all winter and because I am in mourning 
made no difference. But with John invit- 
ing his friends to your entertainment, why, 


92 


THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


I can’t make up my mind yet, dear, whether 
I have the courage to come.” 

Betty spoke bravely, but Meg slipped 
her arm across her friend’s shoulder, hold- 
ing her fast. The two girls were closer 
friends now that Polly and Esther were 
both away and Meg understood that some- 
times Betty did not feel so cheerful as she 
pretended. 

^^John won’t ask more than just one 
other fellow to keep him company, if 
we can have you with us in no other way,” 
Meg conceded. '^You see, Betty, John is 
only to be at home for a few days. As this 
is his senior year at college he wants to 
so some special work during the holidays. 
But he likes you so much better than any 
of the other girls in Woodford, that I am 
quite sure ” 

But Betty had stuffed her fingers in her 
ears and was refusing to listen. ^^It is bad 
enough to have you girls spoil me because 
I am in trouble, but when it comes to telling 
fibs I won’t hear you. Of course you 
know, Meg Everett, that I am not going 
to let you spoil everybody’s pleasure on 
my account,” she answered. 


HOLIDAY PREPARATIONS 93 


Feeling the victory already won, Meg 
laughed. ^^John is only to invite Billy 
Webster and Frank Wharton and Ralph 
Bowles and three or four of his Boy Scout 
camp. By the way, Betty, one of the 
things I particularly wished to talk to 
you about is this: Shall we ask Anthony 
Graham? He seems rather uncouth and 
the other fellows won^t have anything 
to do with him. But he is Nan^s brother 
and she is so splendid I should hate to hurt 
her feelings.^’ 

Betty shook her head. ^‘Anthony isn^t 
the kind of person to invite though, Meg,^' 
she replied without a moment^s hesitation. 
^^Of course he is trying to puU up and keep 
straight and I feel that we should do all 
we can to help him. But inviting him to 
our parties and treating him as if he were 
exactly our equal! Betty ^s chin went up 
in the air and her face betrayed such a 
delicate, high-bred disdain that apparently 
Anthony’s fate was immediately settled. 

The little party had now reached the 
familiar pine woods and there, only a few 
yards ahead, stood their deserted cabin. 
The totem pole raised its gaunt head to 


94 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


greet them, still decorated with the history 
of their year in the woods together. But 
the doors and windows of the cabin were 
barred with heavy planks. Nowhere was 
there a sign of life. 

^^Let^s go back home at once, please, 
now that we have seen that everything is 
all right,^^ MoUie begged a moment later. 
'^It always gives me the blues dreadfully 
to see Sunrise Cabin closed up and to know 
that perhaps no one of us shall ever live 
there again. I never dreamed when we 
said good-bye to it last spring that we 
would not come out here often for club 
meetings and parties.’^ 

Parties?’^ Meg repeated. Then she 
continued standing perfectly still and silent 
for several moments, although the others 
were moving about laughing and talking. 

^^Parties!^’ she exclaimed again, speaking 
in such a loud tone that her companions 
turned to stare at her in surprise. 

Betty Ashton, MoUie O^NeiU and Billy 
Webster, if you and some of the others wiU 
help us, why can't we have our dinner 
party here at the cabin? We are not 
planning to have it until New Year, so 


HOLIDAY PREPARATIONS 95 


there will be plenty of time to make 
arrangements/^ 

However, Meg could get no further with 
her suggestion, for Betty and Mollie had 
both flung their arms about her and Betty 
exclaimed : 

^Ht will almost make me have a happy 
holiday time, Meg dearest, and I can never 
bear to refuse your invitation if we are to 
be together at Sunrise Cabin once again/^ 


CHAPTER IX 


The Castle of Life 

I T seemed to Esther Crippen that she 
had been sitting in the wings of the 
theater every evening for half her life- 
time, although it had been only a week 
since Polly’s initial appearance as the 
Fairy of the Woods in the dramatization 
of the ancient legend “The Castle of 
Life.” 

At first she had spent every moment 
after Polly’s departure from the dressing 
room in peering out from some inconspic- 
uous corner at whatever action was taking 
place upon the stage. Now, however, the 
play and even the actors themselves had 
become a comparatively old story. Her 
interest centered itseK chiefly in Polly — 
in Polly and the odd human characters 
that she saw everywhere about her. 
Indeed, except for her nervousness and 
care of her friend, this week had been 
almost as absorbing to Esther Crippen as 

( 96 ) 


THE CASTLE OF LIFE 


97 


to the other girl. For after the first two 
nights she had lost her fear that Polly 
might make an absolute failure of her part, 
and also the impression that either of them 
might be insulted or unkindly treated by 
the men and women about them. People 
had been rough perhaps, but thoroughly 
business-like. And if Polly were told to 
hurry, or to move on, or corrected for some 
mistake in her work, it was all done in so 
impersonal a fashion that both girls had 
learned valuable lessons from the expe- 
rience. Esther had been amazed at the 
spirit in which Polly had accepted the 
discipline and hard work. Perhaps, after 
all, she had been making a mountain out of 
a mole hill and this disobedience on Polly^s 
part, wrong though it certainly was, might 
not result in anything so disastrous as she 
had at first feared. 

And there was no doubt that Polly 
was achieving a real success, one that sur- 
prised her and every one else. Her part 
was only a small one, with but few words 
to speak; otherwise she could never have 
managed it with no previous experience 
and so little time for rehearsing. Never- 


98 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


theless she had made one of those sudden 
yet conspicuous triumphs that are so fre- 
quent in stage life. Sometimes it may 
happen with a girl playing the part of a 
maid, sometimes with a man who has not 
half a dozen sentences to recite. It is the 
quality in the acting that counts. And the 
manager in choosing Polly for the special 
role he had desired had chosen wisely. 
For it was not so much the girFs method 
of playing that had won sympathy and 
applause, as her manner and appearance. 

And curiously enough, though Polly was 
frightened the first night of the perform- 
ance, she was not so much so as on that 
evening of the Camp Fire play the previous 
year, before an audience of friends. 

Polly felt herself at the heart of her first 
great adventure. The play itself, the other 
actors and actresses, the strangeness of her 
surroundings, all occupied her to the for- 
getting of her own individuality. It 
seemed as though she were only living out 
a kind of dream. Nothing was real, 
nothing was actual about her. The 
audience did not terrify her, nor the lights, 
nor the darkness, nor the queer smell of 


THE CASTLE OF LIFE 


99 


dust and paint and artificiality, that is a 
necessary part of the background of stage 
fife. 

Perhaps the girl had foimd her element. 
For there is for each one of us a place in 
this world, some niche into which one really 
fits. And though this place may seem 
crowded, or ugly, or undesirable to other 
people, if it should be our own, it holds a 
feeling of comfort and of possession that no 
other spot can. 

But Polly had not been thinking of 
niches or elements or anything of the kind 
either tonight or during the week past. 
All of her being was too deeply absorbed in 
the interest of the play and the actors and 
her own little part. 

At the present moment she was in hiding 
behind a piece of scenery, eagerly awaiting 
the cue for her own entrance; yet she was as 
keenly intent upon each detail of the acting 
taking place upon the stage as if tonight it 
were a first experience. 

The players happened to be the two 
persons who had been kindest and most 
helpful to her in the company. And one of 
them one was the brown-eyed girl whose 


100 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


lead she had followed on the day of her 
own engagement. Polly had been glad to 
make the discovery later that this same 
girl had been engaged to play the part of 
Grazioso^s grandmother in '^The Castle of 
Life.’’ The other actor was the star, a 
young man of about twenty-six or seven, 
who was impersonating Grazioso, the hero 
of the fairy story. 

The stage was in semi-darkness, while 
the grandmother related to the boy the 
tale of her first meeting with the fairies. 
A small, shabby room revealed a low fire 
burning in the grate. In an armchair sat 
the old woman, while her grandson lay on 
the floor at her feet with his head resting 
upon his hand. 

There are two fairies,” said the grand- 
mother, ^'two great fairies — ^the Fairy of 
the Water and the Fairy of the Woods. 
Ten years ago I had gone out at daybreak 
to catch the crabs asleep in the sand, when 
I saw a halcyon flying gently towards the 
shore. The halcyon is a sacred bird, so I 
never stirred for fear I should scare it 
away. And at the same time from a cleft in 
the mountain I saw a beautiful green adder 


THE CASTLE OF LIFE 101' 


appear and come gliding along the sands 
toward the bird. When they were near 
each other the adder twined itself around 
the neck of the halcyon as if it v/ere 
embracing it tenderly. Then I saw a great 
black cat, who could be nothing else than 
a magician, hiding itself behind a rock close 
to me. And scarcely had the halcyon and 
adder embraced than the cat sprang on the 
innocent pair. This was my time to act. 
I seized him in spite of his struggles and 
with the knife I used for opening oysters I 
cut off the monster’s head, paws and tail. 
And as soon as I had thrown the creature’s 
body into the sea, before me stood two 
beautiful ladies, one with a crown of white 
feathers and the other with a scarf made of 
snake’s skins. They were, as I have told 
you, the Fairy of the Water and the Fairy 
of the Woods.” 

With these words, Polly moved a few 
steps nearer the place set for her entrance. 
On the opposite side she could see the other 
girl who impersonated the water fairy, also 
ready to make her entrance. Tonight was 
New Year’s eve and the house was unus- 
ually crowded. 


102 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


But the grandmother was continuing her 
speech. 

“Enchanted by a wicked Jinn, they were 
obliged to remain bird and snake imtil 
some hand should restore them to liberty. 
To me they owed freedom and power. 
'Ask what thou wilt,^ they said, 'and thy 
wishes shall be fulfilled.^’ 

''I thought how I was old and had too 
hard a life to wish for it over again. But 
the day would come when nothing would 
be too good for thee, my child. The old 
woman leaned over, stroking her grand- 
son’s dark hair. “The Fairy of the Woods 
gave me a scale from the snake’s skin and 
the Fairy of the Water a small white 
feather from her crown. They are hidden 
in a box under some rags. Open the box 
and thou wilt find the scale and the 
feather.” 

The boy then crossed the stage and a 
moment later handed the box to the old 
woman, who appeared too ill to leave her 
chair. 

After bending over and listening to her 
instructions, he stepped forward nearer the 
footlights. There in the center of the 


THE CASTLE OF LIFE 103 


room was a bowl of water in which he 
placed the feather and the scale. 

“Wish for thyself anything thou desirest, 
fortune, greatnesss, wit, power, murmurs 
the old woman. “But embrace me first, 
as I feel that I am dying. 

But Grazioso did not approach either to 
embrace or ask the old woman^s blessing. 

“I wish my grandmother to live for- 
ever!” he cried. “Appear, Fairy of the 
Woods. Appear, Fairy of the Water!” 

And now in perfect silence Polly O’Neill 
made her entrance. She moved very 
slowly forward, so slim and young and tall, 
with such big, dark-blue eyes, and such 
slender, elfish grace that she did not look 
like a real flesh-and-blood girl. 

The audience stirred, and a little breath 
of appreciation moved through it, which 
Polly was almost learning to expect. 

She wore her own black hair unbound 
and hanging loose below her shoulders. It 
was made blacker by the wreath of leaves 
that encircled her head. She was dressed 
in an olive-green gown of some soft, cling- 
ing material and a scarf of snake’s skin was 
fastened over her shoulder. 


104 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


The Fairy of the Water followed Polly. 
Her gown was white with a blue scarf, and 
she was small and blonde. She was a 
pretty girl, but somehow there was no 
suggestion of the fairy about her. One 
could see the same type of girl any time, 
standing behind a counter in a shop, or 
dancing at a party of young people. 

Polly’s grace and her ardent, uncon- 
ventional temperament made it easy to 
understand why the attention should be 
focused upon her during this single scene. 
Besides, she had one long speech to de- 
liver. 

This was the moment when the girl felt 
her only real nervousness. For always 
there was the uncertainity as to whether 
her voice would be strong and full enough 
to be heard throughout the theater. 
Tonight and for the first time she hesitated 
for a second. Yet no one noticed it, except 
the actors near her and Esther, who had 
crept forth, for a closer view in spite of the 
stage regulations. 

'‘Have you forgotten your lines, child?” 
the leading man whispered so quietly that 
no one could overhear. 


THE CASTLE OF LIFE 105 


But Polly only smiled, with a faint shake 
of her graceful head. 

^^Here we are, my child, she began the 
next instant, speaking in clear, girlish tones 
that showed nothing of indecision or embar- 
rassment. 

^^We have heard what you said and your 
wish does you credit. We can prolong 
your grandmother’s life for some time. 
But to make her live forever you must 
find The Castle of Life.” 

Madam,” replied Grazioso, will 
start at once.” 

^Tt is four long days’ journey from here,” 
the Fairy of the Woods continued. ^Hf 
you can accomplish each of these four 
days’ journey without turning out of your 
road and if, on arriving at the castle, you 
can answer the three questions that an 
invisible voice will ask you, you will receive 
there all that you desire. For there the 
fountain of immortality will be found.” 

Then slowly the great stage curtain 
descended. And this was the end of 
Polly’s part in the performance, though one 
more ordeal was to follow. And though 
she welcomed this, Polly also dreaded it 


106 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


more than anything else. Always a cur- 
tain call came at the close of this scene, 
when she and the Fairy of the Water, each 
holding a hand of Grazioso’s, must step 
forth to the footlights and for an instant 
face the audience, smiling their thanks for 
the applause. 

But Polly had never been able to sum- 
mon a smile, for at this moment she had 
always become self-conscious. The glamour 
and the excitement of the theater suddenly 
deserted her and she felt not like a fairy 
or anything fantastic, but only like Polly 
O^Neill, a very untrained and frightened 
girl who was deceiving her family and 
friends to have this first taste of stage life, 
and who might sniffer almost any kind 
of consequences: imprisonment in some 
boarding school, Polly feared, where she 
might never again be allowed any liberty 
or an equal imprisonment in Woodford, 
with no mention of the theater made in her 
presence as long as she lived. For Polly 
could not determine to what lengths her 
mother^s anger and disapproval of her con- 
duct might lead her. And she did mean to 
make her confession and face the results as 


THE CASTLE OF LIFE 107 


soon as her two weeks' engagement was 
over. 

Therefore tonight she kept an even tighter 
clasp on Grazioso's hand than usual, her 
knees were shaking so absurdly. And all 
the faces in the audience were swimming 
before her, as though they had no features 
but eyes. Then suddenly the girl grew 
rigid with surprise, uncertainty and fear. 

In the second row just under the foot- 
lights she had discovered a face that was 
strangely familiar. And yet could it be 
possible that this person of all others 
should be here in New York City and in 
the theater tonight, instead of in the 
village of Woodford? 


CHAPTER X 


The Recognition 

E sther was not waiting in the accus- 
tomed place where Polly had pre- 
viously found her when she came 
off the stage. On her way to the dressing 
room she shivered a little, missing the coat 
that her friend was in the habit of wrapping 
about her shoulders. The night was ex- 
tremely cold and the back of a theater is 
nearly always breezy. 

Polly hurried faster than usual to her 
room — a small dark one at the end of a 
passage-way. But even here there was no 
sign of Esther. What could have become 
of her? She was not apt to be talking with 
any of the members of the company; for 
both girls had decided that it was wiser 
to make themselves as inconspicuous as 
possible. 

Well, she must do her best to get out of 
her fairy costume and back into sensible 
garments by her own efforts. Esther would 

( 108 ) 


THE RECOGNITION 


109 


be coming along in a few moments. She 
could not stand idle with her teeth fairly 
chattering and those ridiculous little chills 
chasing themselves all over her. Wouldn’t 
it be too absurd to take cold at this par- 
ticular time and so make a failure of her 
adventure? For she would thus heap all 
the family disapproval and punishment 
upon her own head and incur the righteous 
indignation of everybody in the company 
by having to resign her part. 

Would any one ever have imagined that 
a garment could be so difficult to unfasten 
as this one she was now incased in? For 
of course the stiffness and shakiness of 
Polly’s fingers came from the zero tempera- 
ture in her dressing room and not in the 
least from the momentary fright she had 
received from her supposed recognition 
of a face in the audience. Undoubtedly 
she had been mistaken. Yet why should 
she have chosen to believe that she saw 
about the most unlikely person of her 
acquaintance? A guilty conscience should 
have conjured up some ghost who had more 
right to be present. 

Polly finally did succeed in getting into 


no THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


her street clothes without assistance; and 
though five, ten minutes passed, Esther 
did not appear in the dressing room. Nor 
was she anywhere in the hall, since PoUy 
had several times thrust her head out the 
door to look for her. 

Polly was a little uneasy, though assur- 
edly nothing serious could have happened 
to Esther. Esther had been very good to 
her during these past days, so staunch 
and loyal, never reproaching her or argu- 
ing once she had become convinced that 
Polly's mind was made up, and taking 
such wonderful care of her, guarding her 
so closely! If ever there came a time when 
her mother, or Mollie, or Betty should 
attempt to blame Esther for her part in 
this escapade, Polly had determined that 
they should understand the situation ra 
its true light. And some day she might 
be able to return Esther's allegiance and 
devotion. For always the opportunity 
to serve a friend will come if one is suffi- 
ciently on the lookout for it. 

The moment that she left her dressing 
room Polly ran directly into Esther, who 
was hurrying toward her. 


THE RECOGNITION 


111 


^^Oh, Polly dear/^ she said, '^I hope you 
haven^t been worried, though I have been 
uneasy enough about you. Do come back 
into your room for a moment. There is 
something I want to tell you that no one 
else must hear.’^ 

Esther looked so excited and nervous 
that Polly slipped an arm comfortingly 
about her. ^^Don^t mind if anybody has 
said anything rude or been horrid, please, 
she whispered. ^^You know we promised 
each other not to take the disagreeable 
things seriously.’’ 

^^Oh no, it is nothing like that. It is 
about you,” the older girl explained. 

Polly smiled. “The disagreeable things 
usually are about me.” She looked so 
absurdly young and wilful and charming 
that Esther felt herself suddenly willing 
to champion her cause against any opposi- 
tion. Of course Polly had done wrong, 
but the mistake had been made and to 
frustrate her ambition now could do no 
possible good. 

“I don’t think you understand, Polly; 
you can’t of course. But Billy Webster 
was in the audience just now and rec- 


112 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


ognized you. He says that Mollie was 
afraid there was something the matter 
and ” 

Billy Webster’s opinions are not of the 
least interest to me. Do let’s hurry home, 
Esther. It is almost ten o’clock and 
though we can take the street car straight 
to your door, we have never been out this 
late before.” 

^^But Billy says he must see you. He is 
waiting outside. He says he means to tell 
your mother and Mollie what you are 
doing unless you promise to return home 
tomorrow. He says that if you won’t 
promise he may telegraph them tonight, so 
your mother can come and get you tomor- 
row. I think you had better see him.” 

Suddenly Polly flung her arms about her 
friend’s neck and began crying like a dis- 
appointed child. One never could count 
on Polly’s doing what might be expected of 
her. She had had the boldness of defy 
opposition and to act successfully for a 
week on the professional stage; yet now 
when she most needed her nerve she was 
breaking down completely. 

always have hated that Billy Web- 


THE RECOGNITION 


113 


ster,” she sobbed, ^'from the i&rst moment 
I saw him. What possible reason or right 
can he have to come spying on me in this 
fashion? If he tells mother what I am 
doing now and does not give me a chance 
to confess, she will never forgive me. 
Neither will MoUie nor Betty nor any of 
the people I care about. Rose and Miss 
McMurtry will never speak to me. I shall 
be turned out of our Camp Fire Club. Of 
course I know I deserve it. But that Billy 
Webster should be the person to bring 
about my punishment is too much! 
Besides, I can^t give up my part now. 
Surely, Esther, you can see that. Acting 
a week longer won’t hurt me any more 
and ” 

think we had better see Mr. Webster, 
anyhow, dear,” Esther insisted quietly. 
'^Perhaps we can persuade him not to tell, 
or else to give you the first opportunity.” 

Hastily PoUy dried her eyes. She looked 
very white and frail as they went out of 
the room together. 

In a secluded corner not far from the 
stage door they found Billy Webster wait- 
ing for them. His face was pale under his 

8 


114 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


country tan. His blue eyes, that some- 
times were charmingly humorous, showed 
no sign of humor now. If ever there was 
so youthful a figure of a stem and upright 
judge, he might well have stood for the 
model. 

Polly stmggled bravely to maintain her 
dignity. 

‘^What is your decision. Miss O^Neill?^^ 
he inquired, without wasting any time by 
an enforced greeting. “I presume Miss 
Crippen has told you what I have made 
up my mind to do.^' 

Amiability was one of Esther^s dominant 
traits of character; yet she would have 
liked to shake Billy Webster until his teeth 
chattered or suppress him in almost any 
way. After all, what right had he to 
take this lofty tone with PoUy? He was 
not a member of her family, not even her 
friend. Just because he had known all of 
them in their Camp Fire days in the woods 
and was devoted to Mrs. Wharton and to 
Mollie was not a sufficient excuse. 

Therefore Polly^s unexpected meekness 
of manner and tone was the more surpris- 
ing — and dangerous. 


THE RECOGNITION 


115 


^^How did you happen to come to New 
York and to the theater, she 

queried, ignoring his use of the ^^Miss/^ 
Frequently in times past they had called 
each other by their first names, when good 
feeling happened to be existing between 
them. 

Instantly Billy looked a little more on 
the defensive. “I — ^I had to come to New 
York on business,’^ he explained sullenly. 
^'And MoUie had been telling me that she 
was kind of uneasy about you and that 
she felt there must be some reason you 
wouldn’t give why you did not wish to 
come home for the holidays.” 

^^So you undertook to play detective and 
find out?” Polly announced in the cool, 
even tones that made Billy hot with anger 
and a sense of injustice. 

He was perfectly sure that he was right 
in his attitude toward her. She had been 
disobedient and audacious beyond his wild- 
est conception, even of her. And yet she 
had a skilful fashion of making the other 
fellow appear in the wrong. 

'^I told MoUie that I would caU on you 
and Esther,” he returned, relapsing into 


116 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


his old-time familiarity. ^^You see, I told 
her that I was sure things were quite all 
right, but I wanted to convince her too. I 
didn^t think you would mind seeing me. I 
thought you might even be glad to hear 
about your Woodford friends. So as 
Mollie gave me your address, I went out 
to your house at about eight o’clock. The 
maid told me that you had gone to the 
theater, told me which one. Of course I 
just supposed that you had gone to see a 
show. And that was pretty bad for two 
young girls! But when I got here and the 
curtain went up and you came out! — ^why, 
Polly, I just couldn’t believe it at first, 
and then I got to thinking of how your 
mother and Mollie would feel and 
what might happen!” And Billy’s voice 
shook in a very human and attractive 
fashion. 

Instantly Polly’s hand was laid coaxingly 
on the young man’s coat sleeve. ^^But, 
Billy, seeing as now I have been and gone 
and done it already, why, think of me in 
any way that you please. Only don’t tell 
on me for another week. The play is to 
last only through the holida 3 rs. And I 


THE RECOGNITION 


117 


promise on my word of honor to come 
home as soon as it is over and to tell 
mother every single thing/^ 

^'Word of honor?’’ Billy repeated slight- 
ingly. And of course, though Polly 
deserved her punishment his inflection 'vv as 
both rude and cruel. 

Up to this moment the little party of 
three persons had been entirely uninter- 
rupted. Now Esther heard some one 
coming quickly toward them. And turn- 
ing instantly she understood the impres- 
sion that this scene might make. The man 
was the leading actor of the company, 
Richard Himt, who in a quiet way had 
shown an interest and an attitude of pro- 
tection toward Polly. Now observing a 
strange young man, and Polly’s evident 
agitation, it was but natural that he 
should suppose that some one was trying 
to annoy her. 

Esther flung herself into the breach. 
Not for anything must a scene be per- 
mitted to take place! And she could guess 
at Billy Webster’s scornful disregard of a 
man who was an actor. Billy was a 
country fellow with little experience of life, 


118 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


and broad-mindedness was not a conspic- 
uous trait of his character. 

Esther never knew just exactly how she 
managed it, but in another moment she 
had confided the entire story of Polly^s 
audacity to Mr. Hunt, Billy Webster’s 
place in it, and his present intention of 
bringing retribution upon them. She knew 
there was but little time for her story; for 
Mr. Hunt might be compelled to leave 
them on receiving his curtain call at any 
moment. In a very siuprising and good- 
humored fashion however he seemed to 
understand the situation at once. 

'^1 had an idea that Miss O’Neill was 
new to this business,” he said; you 
would both have realized that it is not 
wise for a girl so young as she is to come 
to the theater without her mother or some 
much older woman to look after her. But 
I believe I can appreciate everybody’s 
point of view" in this matter. So why 
wouldn’t it be well to have Miss O’Neill 
telegraph her mother herself and ask that 
she come down to New York tomorrow. 
She could say there was nothing serious, 
so as not to frighten her. And then of 


THE RECOGNITION 


119 


course they could talk things over together 
and decide what was best without any 
interference/’ 

But before any answer could follow his 
suggestion a bell sounded and the older 
man was obliged to hurry away. 

Esther breathed a sigh of relief. 

Dear me, why had not one of us thought 
of this way out?” she asked. Surely, 
Billy, you can’t object to allowing Mrs. 
Wharton to be the judge in this matter?” 

Billy nodded. ^^Of course that is the 
best plan.” 

'^And you, Polly?” 

Polly had begun to cry again. want 
to see my mother right this minute,” she 
confessed. And then, slipping out of the 
stage door, she left Esther and BiUy to fol- 
low immediately after her and in silence to 
escort her safely home. 


CHAPTER XI 


Sunrise Cabin Again 

I T was New Year’s night. Sunrise 
Cabin was no longer an empty and 
deserted place, but golden lights shone 
through the windows, making a circle of 
brightness outside the door. 

From the inside came the sound of voices 
and laughter and music and the clatter of 
dishes. 

Slowly a figure approached the door. It 
was after seven o’clock and a sharply cold 
evening with a heavy snow on the ground, 
so there could be small comfort in loitering. 
Yet when the figure reached its evident 
destination, instead of knocking or making 
an effort to enter, it hesitated, stopped, 
turned and walked away for a few steps 
and then came back again. The second 
time, however, summoning a sudden cour- 
age, the arm shot forth, and there was a 
single rap on the door. The rap was so 
imperative that in spite of the rival noises 
(120) 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 121 


inside, the door opened quickly. Then the 
newcomer entered and for another moment 
stood hesitating in even greater bewilder- 
ment. 

The great room seemed to be twinkling 
with a hundred bayberry candles, sending 
forth a delicious woodland fragrance. The 
walls were covered with pine branches and 
the big fireplace was piled as high with 
burning fagots and pine cones as safety 
permitted. A long table standing in the 
center of the room was beautifully and yet 
oddly decorated, and upon it dinner was 
just about to be served. 

Resting in the middle of its uncovered 
surface were three short and slender pine 
logs of the same general height and size 
and crossed at the top, while swinging from 
this trident was a brightly polished copper 
kettle, piled high tonight with every kind 
of fruit and with giant clusters of white 
and purple grapes suspended over its sides. 
Encircling the centerpiece, made not of real 
wood of course but of paper bonbons, were 
three groups of logs representing the insig- 
nia of the three orders of the Camp Fire, 
the wood-gatherer^s logs having no flame, 


122 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


the fire-maker^s a small one, while the 
torch-bearer^s flame of twisted colored 
paper seemed to glow as though it were 
in truth of fire. The mats on the table 
were embroidered in various Camp Fire 
emblems — a bundle of seven fagots, a single 
pine tree, or a disk representing the sun. 
And at either end of the long table three 
candles had lately been lighted, while 
standing up around it at their appointed 
places were about twenty guests, the girls 
dressed in their ceremonial costumes, the 
young men as Boy Scouts. 

The effect of the entire scene was so 
brilliant and so unusual that there was 
small wonder that the latest comer was 
overwhelmed. He fumbled awkardly with 
his hat, cleared his throat, his face so 
crimsoning with embarrassment that actual 
tears were forced out of his eyes. And 
then just as the young man was praying 
that the earth might open and swallow him 
up, a girl came forward from the indeter- 
minate mass of persons, who appeared to be 
swimming in a mist before him, and held 
out her hand. 

am so glad to see you, Mr. Graham. 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 123 


Nan and I were beginning to be afraid you 
would not be able to come/^ she said 
cordially. ''But you are just in time, as 
we are only sitting down to the table this 
very minute.’’ 

And Meg Everett then led her final 
guest down what seemed to him a mile’s 
length of table, placing him between two 
persons, whom at the moment he did not 
suppose that he had ever seen. And 
before he could quite recover his senses 
there was an unexpected burst of music 
and then a cheer that filled every inch of 
the cabin space. 

"Wo-he-lo for aye, Wo-he-lo for aye, 
Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo for aye! 
Wo-he-lo for work, Wo-he-lo for health, 
Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo for Love.” 

And then with laughter Meg Everett’s 
New Year dinner guests took their places 
at the table and in the pause Anthony 
Graham had a chance to pull himself 
together. To his relief he found that Miss 
McMurtry was seated on his left side, and 
at least they were acquaintances. For 
Miss McMurtry had also come to live in 
the old Ashton house and often passed the 


124 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


young man oh the stairs, nodding good- 
night or good-morning. Then he had put 
up some book-shelves for her in her room 
and moved the furniture to her satisfac- 
tion. So, perhaps the Camp Fire party 
might not be so wretchedly uncomfortable 
with one person near with whom he might 
exchange an occasional word. 

For just what the young man^s emotions 
were this evening, no one except a person 
placed in a similar position could under- 
stand. Perfectly well did he appreciate 
that Meg had asked him to her dinner only 
because of her loyalty and ajffection for his 
sister. Nan, as a member of her same Camp 
Fire Club. The brothers of the other girls 
had been invited, Jim Meade, Frank Whar- 
ton and, of course, John Everett, besides 
others of his friends. So to have left him 
out might have been to hurt Nan^s feelings. 
His sister was both proud and sensitive 
over his efforts to make a better position 
for himself in the village. Yet should he 
have taken advantage of Meg^s kindness 
and accepted her invitation? Anthony was 
by no means certain. This same question 
had been keeping him awake for several 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 125 


nights and even after having written his 
hostess that she might expect him to 
appear he had delayed his approach until 
the last minute. 

Assuredly the other young men would 
not enjoy his presence. They might be 
coldly polite, but nothing more could be 
expected. For no one could be more con- 
scious than Anthony was at this time in 
his life of the difference between him and 
other men of his age, who had the advan- 
tages of birth and education. Actually he 
could feel the grime of his own hands as 
he clutched them nervously together under 
the table. Not all the scrubbing of the 
past hour could altogether rid them of the 
soot and dust that came of making fires 
and sweeping office floors. And his clothes, 
although brushed until they were spotless, 
were worn almost threadbare in places. 
The very shirt that Nan had washed and 
ironed for him, had had to have the frayed 
ends trimmed away from the wrist-bands. 

Anthony glanced across the table. 
There were Nan’s dark eyes smiling at him 
bravely. She did not look in the least 
ashamed of him. And as for Nan herself 


126 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


why, she was as pretty a Camp Fire girl as 
any one at the table. Wearing their Coun- 
cil Fire costumes, each girl decorated only 
with the honor beads which she had won 
by her own efforts, the poorer maids and 
the rich ones were equally attractive. For 
there were none of the differences in toilet 
which any other kind of entertainment 
might have revealed. 

But Nan was not only smiling at her 
brother, she was nodding at him and try- 
ing to attract his attention. Evidently she 
wished him to glance away from Miss 
McMurtry to his companion on the other 
side. And Anthony finally did manage to 
turn shyly half way around. 

Then with a sudden feeling almost of 
happiness he discovered that Betty Ashton 
was on his right. She did not happen to 
be looking toward him at the moment, but 
was talking to John Everett with more 
animation than he had ever before seen her 
show. 

Betty had no knowledge of Anthony^s 
having been invited to Meg^s Camp Fire 
dinner. His invitation had not come so 
soon perhaps as the others had received 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 127 


theirs, and afterwards for several days he 
had had no opportunity for conversation 
with her. For of course living in Betty ^s 
house gave him no right to any pretense 
of friendship with her. 

Yet the moments were passing and she 
must by this time have become conscious 
of his presence. Miss McMurtry had 
called him by name several times and no 
human being could be entirely oblivious of 
a person so near, unless under some pecu- 
liar stress of emotion. 

Anthony felt his former nervousness leav- 
ing him. He was no longer blushing; his 
face had become white and a little stern. 
So that when Betty finally turned to speak 
to the young man she had a curious 
impression that his face was unfamiliar, it 
wore so different an expression from any 
that she had ever seen on it before. Betty 
had been conscious of Anthony^s presence 
from the instant of his taking his place 
beside her and in failing to recognize him 
had not deliberately intended being rude or 
unkind. At first she had been amazed and 
a little chagrined by his presence, for after 
what she had said to Meg she had not 


128 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


dreamed of the young man’s being included 
among the guests. Yet this was Meg’s 
entertainment and not hers, and of course 
she had no right to feel or show offense. 
Only she and John Everett happened to be 
having such an interesting talk at the 
moment of Anthony’s appearance, and 
assuredly John shared her conviction about 
the newcomer! One could be kind to the 
young fellow of course, without admitting 
him within the intimate circle of friend- 
ship. And Betty Ashton, although she 
would never have confessed it, had always 
been greatly influenced by John Everett’s 
opinions and personality. He was such 
a big blond giant, older and handsomer 
and more a man of the world than any 
other college fellow in Woodford. She 
was flattered, too, because he had never 
failed on his return for holidays to show 
her more attention than any other girl in 
the village. He might have other friend- 
ships outside of his own home; of this she 
could know nothing, but at the present 
time this thought only made him the more 
agreeable. Therefore it was annoying that 
she might be expected to waste a part of 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 129 


her evening on a young fellow for whom 
she felt no personal interest, only good will. 
Betty herself was not conscious of the con- 
descension in her attitude, but why did she 
find it so difficult to begin a conversa- 
tion with the newcomer or even to greet 
him? 

Anthony should at least understand that 
it was exceedingly iU mannered of him to 
keep staring down into his plate when he 
must have become aware that she was now 
ready to talk with him. But what should 
she say first? Having failed to notice a 
personas existence for some time makes an 
ordinary ^^Good evening’’ appear a bit 
ridiculous. 

^^How do you do, Mr. Graham?” Betty 
began half shyly, putting more cordiality 
into her manner than usual in an effort to 
atone for her former lack of courtesy. 

Then for the briefest space Anthony 
glanced up at her quietly, his grave eyes 
studying hers, until Betty felt her own 
eyelids flutter and was grateful for the 
length of her dark lashes which swept like 
a cloud before her vision. For actually she 
was blushing in the most absurd and guilty 


130 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


fashion, as though she had done something 
for which she should feel ashamed. 

^^Good evening,’’ Anthony returned, and 
during the rest of the dinner party he never 
voluntarily addressed a single remark to 
her. 

Betty need not have been afraid that he 
might interfere with her opportunity for 
conversation with John Everett. For 
although Anthony answered politely any 
questions that she put to him and listened 
to whatever she wished to say, the greater 
part of his time he devoted to talking with 
Miss McMm-try and to pursuing his own 
train of thought. 

For if the young man had originally been 
doubtful as to whether it was wise for him 
to accept Meg Everett’s invitation, he was 
glad now with all his heart. Just what 
this evening was giving him he had needed. 
Glancing up and down the table, his own 
resolution was thereby strengthened. If 
there had been moments when he had 
wavered, when it had seemed easier to slip 
back into his old way of life and to enjoy 
the companions who were always ready to 
join hands, he could hereafter recall this 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 131 


experience and Betty^s treatment of him, 
as well as the sight of the other young men 
guests. 

Some day there should be another reck- 
oning. These fellows were largely what 
their fathers had made them; they had 
birth, schooling, the influences of cultured 
homes. But out in the big world a man^s 
own grit and will and ability to keep on 
working in the face of every difficulty 
counted in the long run. Anthony clenched 
his teeth, feeling his backbone actually 
stiffen with the strength of his resolution. 
Then he had the humor and good sense to 
laugh at himself and to begin taking more 
pleasure in his surroundings. 

Here were all the Camp Fire girls whom 
his sister had talked and written so much 
about, excepting the two whose absence the 
others were lamenting, Polly and Esther. 
Here also was the German professor, who 
had lately moved into the Ashton house, 
sitting on the further side of Miss McMur- 
try and certainly absorbing aU of her atten- 
tion that he possibly dared. But Anthony 
did not mind; he had a kind of feUow feel- 
ing for Herr Crippen, who was poor and 


132 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


evidently not of much interest or impor- 
tance in the Lady Betty’s estimation. 
There at the farther end of the table must 
be Miss Rose Dyer, the Camp Fire Guar- 
dian whom Nan cared for so deeply, and 
she certainly was quite as pretty as his 
sister had said. So why should young Dr. 
Barton be staring at her so severely? Miss 
Dyer was only laughing and talking idly 
with Frank Wharton; and every now and 
then she turned to smile and speak to the 
little girl who sat close beside her. This 
must be Faith, the youngest of the Sunrise 
girls, whose mother had lately died and 
who was now living with Miss Dyer. 

Anthony smiled unexpectedly, so that 
Betty, who happened to be glancing toward 
him at the moment, was vexed over his 
ability to amuse himself. He had only 
just guessed why Dr. Barton foimd it nec- 
essary to regard Miss Dyer so sternly. 
Anthony felt that he would like to make 
friends with this young men. He was 
evidently somewhat narrow and puritan- 
ical, but already had offered to assist him 
with any of his studies should he need help. 
And Anthony meant to take advantage of 


SUNRISE CABIN AGAIN 13a 


his offer and to interest him if he could; 
for Dr. Barton was just the kind of a 
friend he would like to know intimately in 
these early days of his struggle. 

Dinner was finally over, and, stupidly 
enough, as the guests began leaving the 
table Anthony Graham felt his own shyness 
and awkwardness returning. They were 
intending to dance for the rest of the even- 
ing, and dancing was another of the graces 
that had been left out of his education. 
However, he could find himself an incon- 
spicuous corner somewhere, and it would 
be good enough fun to look on. 



{ 


CHAPTER XII 


Lifers Little Ironies^' 

yrOLLIE O^NEILL, if you donT 
I tell me what you and BiUy 
A. T X. 'W'ebster have been whispering 
about all evening and why you look so 
worried, I donT think I can bear it a 
moment longer,^’ Betty Ashton insisted, 
having at last found her friend alone for a 
moment, while the other girls and men 
were clearing the living room for the dance. 

“There isn’t anything to tell. * At least 
there really is, but I have not been told 
just what,” Mollie sighed in return. 

“Then of course it’s Polly?” 

Mollie nodded. “Early this morning 
before any of us were awake a telegram 
arrived from Polly begging mother to come 
to New York at once. Polly said she 
wasn’t ill and there was nothing for us to 
worry over, but juat the same Sylvia and 
I have been worried nearly to death all 
day. For mother got off within a few 

( 134 ) 


LIFERS LITTLE IRONIES’’ 135 


hours. Then late this evening Billy Web- 
ster appears in Woodford after his visit in 
New York. And though he tells me that 
he saw Polly and Esther and has confessed 
that he knows why Polly telegraphed for 
mother, he won’t give me the least satis- 
faction about anything. Can you make 
any suggestion, Betty dear? What dif- 
ficulty do you suppose Polly has gotten 
into this time? For certainly it is Polly and 
not Esther; Esther would never be absurd.” 

MoUie lowered her voice as several of 
their friends were approaching. 

Please don’t speak of this, Betty. 
Mother left word that we were not to 
mention it outside the family until she 
learned exactly what was the matter. But 
of course she said that I might tell you.” 

Before Betty could reply John Everett 
had invited her to dance. 

But slowly she shook her head. ^'I 
can’t, John. I know you will think it 
foolish; perhaps it is. Of course I have 
come to Meg’s party and enjoyed it very 
much. And yet, well, somehow I don’t feel 
quite like dancing. You understand, don’t 
you?” 


136 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


John acquiesced. He was disappointed, 
and yet felt himself able to understand 
almost anything that Betty wished him to, 
when she looked at him with that appealing 
light in her gray eyes and that rose flush 
in her cheeks. 

Never mind,” he returned; find 

seats for us somewhere, where we can 
manage to talk and yet watch the others.” 

Betty smiled. It was agreeable to be 
so sought after, and yet under the circum- 
stances quite out of the question. 

“You will please find me a place where 
I can watch, but not with you. This is 
your party, remember. Meg will expect 
you and every man to do his duty,” she 
replied. 

So after a little further discussion Betty 
found herself seated upon a kind of minia- 
ture throne, which John had made for her 
by piling some sofa cushions upon an old 
divan. Behind her was a background of 
cedar and pine branches decorating the 
walls and just above her head flickered the 
lights of candles from a pair of brass 
sconces. 

Betty wore her red brown hair parted 


LIFERS LITTLE IRONIES^^ 137 


in the middle and in two heavy braids, 
one falling over each shoulder, while around 
her forehead was a blue and silver band 
with the three white feathers, the insignia 
of her title of “Princess’’ in their Camp 
Fire Club. Her dress was cut a little low 
in the throat and about it were strung 
seven chains of honor beads. 

For a little while at least she might have 
found interest in watching the others dance 
had she not been worried about Polly. 
She was uneasy and it was stupid to have 
been given this opportunity to think; for 
thinking could do no possible good. What- 
ever mischief Polly had gotten into was sure 
to be beyond one’s wildest imagination. 
It would be much more agreeable if she 
might have some one to talk with her and 
so distract her attention. 

And there was one other guest beside 
herself who was not dancing. Betty 
flushed uncomfortably. It must appear 
strange to the others to see Anthony 
sitting only a short distance away from her 
and yet paying no more attention to her 
presence than if they were upon opposite 
sides of the world. 


138 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Once or twice Betty looked graciously 
toward the young man, intending to smile 
an invitation to him to sit near her, should 
he show the inclination. For possibly he 
was too much embarrassed to make the 
first move. She must remember that he 
had had no one to teach him good manners 
and that he was always both shy and 
awkward in her presence. 

However, at present he seemed totally 
unaware of her existence and not in the 
least requiring entertainment. For he 
was watching the dancers with such pro- 
found concentration that apparently his 
entire attention was absorbed by them. 

The girl had an unusually good oppor- 
tunity for studying the young man^s face. 
She had not noticed until tonight how thin 
he was and how clear and finely cut his 
features. There was no trace of his 
Italian mother left, save in his black hair 
and in the curious glow which his skin 
showed underneath its pallor. His nose 
was big — ^too big, Betty thought — and his 
lips closed and firm. He had a kind of 
hungry look. Hungry for what? the girl 
wondered. Then she had a sudden feeling 


LIFE’S LITTLE IRONIES” 139 


of compunction. Anthony might some- 
times even be hungry for food, he worked 
so hard, made so little money and was so 
busy by day and night. Before tonight 
she might have helped him without his 
Imowing or even caring, if he had guessed 
her purpose. But after tonight? Well, 
Betty felt reasonably sure that she and 
Anthony could never be upon exactly the 
same footing again. For somehow she 
had hurt him more than she had intended, 
not realizing that any one could be at once 
so humble and so proud. And as she had 
made one of those mistakes that one can 
never apologize for, there was no point in 
dwelling on it any longer. Only she did 
regret by this time that deep down in her 
heart there must still linger her old narrow 
attitude toward money and good birth. 
She was poor enough herself now, and yet 
in her case, as in so many others, had it 
not made her feel all the more pride in the 
distinction of her family? Assuredly she 
had often whispered to herself that poverty 
did not matter when one bore a distinguished 
name. 

Betty smothered a sigh and a yawn. It 


140 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


was tiresome to be sitting there thinking 
and reproaching herself when the others 
were having such a good time. How 
splendidly Billy Webster and Mollie danced 
together! He was so strong and dicta- 
torial, so certain of his own judgment and 
opinions. And Mollie so gentle and yield- 
ing ! She smiled over her foolish romancing, 
and yet there was no use pretending that 
they would not make a suitable match 
should things turn out that way. Mollie 
and Polly might possibly never be exactly 
what they had been to each other in the 
past, and Mrs. Wharton had re-married, 
and Sylvia would soon be going away to 
study nursing. 

But some one was passing close by and 
trying to attract her attention. Betty 
waved her hand, but when she had gone 
frowned a little anxiously. 

Edith Norton was dancing with the 
friend whom she had persuaded Meg to 
ask to her Camp Fire dinner, although 
none of the rest of the girls liked him. He 
was a good deal older than their other 
young men acquaintances and a stranger 
to most of them, having only come to Wood- 


LIFERS LITTLE IRONIES'' 141 


ford in the past six months and opened a 
drug store. But he had been entirely 
devoted to Edith since, and of course as 
she was nearly twenty she should know her 
own mind. Notwithstanding, Betty felt 
uneasy and uncomfortable. They had 
been hearing things not to Frederick 
Howard's credit in the village, and Edith 
had always been unlike the rest of their 
Sunrise Camp Fire girls. She was vainer 
and more frivolous and dreadfully tired of 
working in a millinery shop in Woodford. 
This much she had confided to Betty after 
coming to live in the Ashton house. And 
both Rose Dyer and Miss McMurtry were 
afraid that Edith might for this reason 
accept the first opportunity that apparently 
offered to make life easier for her. So they 
had asked Betty to use her infiuence when- 
ever it was possible. Betty it was who had 
first brought Edith into their club, and 
Edith had always cared for her and admired 
her more than any other of her associates. 

Betty stirred restlessly. Would she never 
be able to get away from serious thoughts 
tonight? But the next instant she had 
jumped to her feet with a quickly smothered 


142 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


cry and stood with her hands clasped 
tightly over her eyes. For all around her, 
in her hair falling down upon her shoulders 
and about her face were glittering sparks 
of heat and light. They were scorching 
her; already she could smell the odor of 
her burning hair. One movement the girl 
made to protect her head, then in a flash 
her hands were covering her eyes again. 
She wanted to run, and yet some subcon- 
scious idea restrained her. Running would 
only make the flames leap faster and higher. 
And surely in an instant some one must 
come to her assistance; for her own low 
cry had been echoed by a dozen other 
voices. 

Then Betty felt herself roughly seized and 
dragged stumbling away from her former 
position, while a sudden, smothering dark- 
ness destroyed her breath and vision; and 
none too tender hands seemed to be pressing 
down the top of her head. 

Another moment and she was pulling 
feebly at the scorched coat enveloping her. 

Please take it off. I am aU right now. 
The fire must be out, and I^m stifling,’^ she 
pleaded. 


“LIFERS LITTLE IRONIES^’ 143 


But about her there followed another 
firm closing in of the heavy material. 
And then the darkness lifted, showing 
Anthony Graham standing close beside her 
in his shabby shirt sleeves, holding his 
ruined coat in his hands. In a terrified 
group near by was every other human 
being in the room, excepting Jim Meade 
and Frank Wharton, who were pulling down 
the burning pine and cedar branches from 
the wall and stamping out the last sparks 
of fire caused by the overturning of one of 
the candles. 

^^What happened to me? Am I much 
burned?’’ Betty asked, trying to smile and 
yet feeling her lips quiver tremulously. 
^^Won’t somebody please take me home?” 
Now she dared not put up her hands 
toward her pretty hair, for it was enough 
to try and bear the pain that seemed to be 
covering her head and shoulders like a 
blanket of fire. 

Surely the faces before her must look 
whiter and more terror-stricken than her 
own. MoUie and Faith were both crying. 
Betty wondered just why. And Anthony 
Graham was staring at her with such a 


144 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


strange expression. She wanted to thank 
him, to say that she was sorry and grateful 
at the same time, but could not recall 
exactly what had happened. Then that 
funny Herr Crippen was shaking all over 
and saying ^^Mein liebes Eand,^’ just as 
though it were Esther who had been 
hurt. At last, however. Rose Dyer and 
Dr. Barton, each with an arm about her, 
were leading her across the length of that 
interminable and now pitch-black room 
with a floor that seemed to be rising before 
her eyes like the waves of the sea. And 
afterwards, she did not know just when, 
the cold night air brought back to her a 
returning consciousness, but with the con- 
sciousness came an even greater sense of 
pain. 

Never in after years could Betty Ashton 
wholly forget the drive home that followed. 
Rose Dyer and Miss McMurtry sat on 
either side of her, sometimes talking, some- 
times quiet, and now and then gently 
touching her bandaged hands. Occa- 
sionally Dr. Barton asked her a question, 
to which she replied as calmly and intel- 
ligently as possible. Otherwise she made 


LIFERS LITTLE IRONIES” 145 


no movement that she could help and no 
sound. Anthony Graham drove silently 
and grimly forward at the utmost speed 
that the two livery-stable horses could 
attain. And although to Betty the jour- 
ney seemed to last half a lifetime, in reality 
it had seldom been accomplished in so 
short a time. 


10 


CHAPTER XIII 


The Invalids 

S YLVIA WHARTON wearing a trained 
nurse^s costume tiptoed into a dark- 
ened room. 

Instantly the figure upon the bed turned 
and sighed. 

^^I don’t see why she does not come to 
me, if she is no worse than you say she is/’ 
the voice said. Really, Sylvia, I think it 
would be better for you or some one to tell 
me the truth.” 

Sylvia hesitated. ^^She isn’t so well, 
Betty dear. Perhaps Dr. Barton may be 
angry with me, as he distinctly said that 
you were not to be worried. But as you 
are worrying anyhow, possibly talking 
things over with me may make you feel 
better. It has all been most unfortunate, 
Polly’s being ill here in your house when 
you were enduring so much yourself. But 
it all comes of mother’s and everybody’s 
yielding to whatever Polly O’Neill wishes.” 

( 146 ) 


THE INVALIDS 


147 


Sylvia sat down upon the side of the bed, 
taking one of Betty^s hands in hers. Ten 
days had passed since the accident at the 
cabin and the burns on Betty’s hands had 
almost entirely healed, but over her eyes 
and the upper part of her face was a linen 
covering, so that it was stiU impossible to 
guess the extent of her injury. She was 
apt to be quieter, however, Sylvia had 
found out, when she could feel some one 
touching her. And now the news of Polly 
for the time being kept her interested. 

^^You see, mother’s first mistake was in 
not bringing Polly straight back home as 
soon as she found out what she was doing 
in New York. Polly had a slight cold then 
and it kept getting worse each night. But 
of course PoUy pretended that it amounted 
to nothing and that the stars would fall 
unless she finished her engagement. So 
finish it she did, and then hearing of your 
accident toward the last, as mother and 
Esther had kept the news a secret from her 
for some time, why come here she would 
instead of immediately going home. She 
wanted to help nurse and amuse you and 
you had said that you wanted her with 


148 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


you. And then of course Polly was embar- 
rassed over meeting father and Frank. 
And father was angry at her disobedience 
and her frightening mother and Mollie. 
However, that cold of hers has kept on 
getting worse and she will have to stay in 
bed now for a few days anyhow. For I 
won’t let Polly O’Neill have her own way 
this time.” 

A faint smile showed itself on Betty’s 
lips which Sylvia stooped low enough to 
see. And then in spite of her own stolid 
and supposedly cold temperament, the 
younger girl’s expression changed. For it 
meant a good deal for any one to have 
succeeded in making Betty Ashton smile in 
these last few days. 

^^But you’re fonder of Polly than you are 
of the rest of us, even Mollie, Sylvia, and 
you let her lead you around,” Betty argued. 

Sylvia’s flaxen head was resolutely 
shaken. She no longer wore her hair in 
two tight pigtails, but in almost as closely 
bound braids wound in a circle about her 
face. Her complexion was still colorless 
and her eyes nondescript, but Sylvia’s 
square chin and her resolute expression 


THE INVALIDS 


149 


often made persons take a second look at 
her. It was seldom that one saw so much 
character in so young a girl. 

'^Yes, I am fond of Polly/’ she agreed, 
^^but you are mistaken if you think I let 
her influence me. Some one has to take 
Polly O’Neill sensibly for her own sake.” 
And Sylvia just in time stifled a sigh. For 
of course her stepsister was in a more 
serious condition than she had confessed 
to the other girl. It was well enough to 
call the illness a bad cold — ^it was that, 
but possibly something worse, bronchitis, 
pneumonia — Dr. Barton had not yet given 
it a name. She was only to be kept quiet 
and watched. Later on he would know 
better what to say. Her constitution was 
not strong. 

Some telepathic message, however, must 
have passed from one friend to the other, 
for at this instant Betty sat up suddenly 
with more energy than she had yet 
shown. 

^^If anything dreadful happens to Polly, 
I shall never forgive Esther as long a I live. 
It is all very well for Polly and your 
mother to insist that Esther was not in any 


150 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


possible way responsible. MoUie and I 
both feel differently. Esther should have 
told 

By the fashion in which Sylvia Wharton 
arose and walked away from the bed, 
Betty realized how intensely their opinions 
disagreed, although the younger girl moved 
quietly, with no anger or flurry and made 
no reply. 

^^Here are some more roses, Betty, that 
John Everett sent you. Shall I put them 
near enough your bed to have you enjoy 
their fragrance?'^ Sylvia asked. ^^John 
seems to be buying up all the flowers near 
Dartmouth. I told Meg that you would 
rather he did not send so many. But 
she says she canT stop him. For somehow 
John feels kind of responsible for your get- 
ting hurt, as he arranged for you to sit 
under those particular candles. Then he did 
not notice when you first called for help and 
let Anthony Graham rescue you. Meg is 
downstairs now with your mother. Would 
you like to see her?” 

Betty shook her head. Please donT 
let Meg know, but I donT feel like talking, 
somehow. The girls are so sweet and 


THE INVALIDS 


151 


S3niipathetic. And I try to be brave, but 
until I know 

With magically quick footsteps the 
younger girl had again crossed the room 
and her firm arms were soon about her 
friend’s shoulders. 

^^You are going to be all right, dear. 
Dr. Barton is almost sure of it and I am 
quite. There won’t be any scars that will 
last and your eyes — why, you protected 
them marvelously, and they only need 
resting. You are too beautiful, Betty 
dear, to have anything happen that could 
in any way mar you. I can’t, I won’t 
believe it.” 

And somehow Sylvia was one of those 
people in whose judgment and faith one 
must always find healing. Betty said 
nothing more, only put out her hand with 
an appealing gesture and caught hold of 
Sylvia’s dress. 

^^I don’t want to talk or to see people, 
and I’m tired of being read to. What is 
there for me to do, Sylvia child, to make 
the hours pass?” 

Rather desperately the younger girl looked 
about the great, sunshiny room. It was 


152 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


not Betty^s old blue room, but the room 
once used as a store-room and afterwards 
occupied by Esther, into which Betty had 
moved a short while before her accident. 
Imagination was not Sylvia Wharton's 
strong point. She was an excellent nurse, 
quiet, firm and patient and always to be 
relied upon. But what to do to make 
Betty Ashton stop thinking of what might 
await her at the end of her weeks of suffering 
must have taxed a far more fertile brain 
than Sylvia's. However, the suggestion 
did not have to come from her; for at 
this instant there was a knock at the door, 
so gentle that it was difficult to be sure 
that it really was a knock. 

Outside stood the German professor with 
his violin under his arm. And he looked 
so utterly wretched and uneasy that Sylvia 
wondered how he could feel so great an 
emotion over Betty, although the entire 
village seemed to be worrying as though 
in reality she had been their own ‘^Prin- 
cess." No one could talk of anything else 
until her condition became finally known; 
but Herr Crippen was a newcomer and 
Betty had never cared for him. 



The Pbofessor Had to Wipe His Glasses 






THE INVALIDS 


155 


“Would the little Fraulein like it that I 
should play for her?” he now asked gently. 

And Sylvia turned to the girl on the bed. 

At first Betty had shaken her head, but 
now she evidently changed her mind. 

“You are very kind. I think I should 
enjoy it,” she answered. And a few 
moments afterwards Sylvia stole away. 

So there was no one in the room to 
notice how frequently Herr Crippen had 
to wipe his glasses as he looked down upon 
the girl of whose face he could see nothing 
now save the delicately rounded chin and 
full red lips. 

Then without worrying her he began to 
play: in the beginning not Beethoven nor 
Mozart, nor any of the classic music he 
most loved, but the Camp Fire songs, 
which he had lately arranged for the violin 
because of his interest in the Sunrise Hill 
Camp Fire girls, and which he was playing 
for the first time before an audience. 

And Betty listened silently, not voicing 
her surprise. The song of “The Soul's 
Desire,” what memories it brought back of 
Esther and their first meeting in this room! 
No wonder that Esther had so great talent 


156 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


with such a queer, gifted father. Betty 
wondered idly what the mother could have 
been hke. She was an American and 
beautiful, so much she remembered having 
been told. 

Then ceasing to think of Esther she 
began thinking of herself. Could she ever 
again even try to follow the Law of the 
Camp Fire, which had meant so much to 
her in the past few years, if this dreadful 
tragedy which hovered over her, sleeping 
or waking, should be not just a terrible 
fear, but a living fact. Should she be 
scarred from her accident, or worse fear, 
should her eyes be affected by the scorch- 
ing heat of the flames? 

' Softly under her breath, even while 
listening with all her soul to the music, 
Betty repeated the Camp Fire Law. 

^^Seek Beauty?’’ Could she find it, 
having lost her own? Then she remembered 
that the beauty which the Camp Fire 
taught was not only a physical beauty, 
but the greater kind which is of the spirit 
as well as of the flesh. 

^^Give Service?” Well, perhaps some 
day in ways she could not now imagine, 


THE INVALIDS 


157 


she might be able to return a small measure 
of the service that her friends had been so 
generously bestowing upon her. 

^'Pursue Knowledge, Be Trustworthy.^^ 
No misfortime need separate a girl from 
these ideals. 

^^Hold on to Health.^’ This might mean 
a harder fight than she had ever yet had to 
make before, but Betty felt a new courage 
faintly struggling within her. 

Glorify Work.'’ That was not an im- 
possible demand of her as a Torch Bearer 
among her group of Camp Fire girls. It 
was the last of the seven points of their 
great law that she dreaded to face at this 
moment, here in the darkness alone. 

^'Be Happy." Could she ever again be 
happy even for a day or an hour? And 
yet the law said: “If we have pain, to 
hide it, if others have sorrow, be quick to 
relieve it." 

But what the rest of the law read she 
could not now recall. For Herr Crippen 
was beginning to play one of the most 
exquisite pieces of music that can ever be 
rendered on the violin, Schubert's Sere- 
nade. 


158 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Last night the nightingale woke me, 

Last night when all was still 
It sang in the golden moonlight 

Betty wondered why the music should 
sound so strangely far away, as though she 
were dreaming and it were coming to her 
somewhere out of the land of dreams. 

Another moment and Betty was sound 
asleep. Nevertheless the Professor, with 
his eyes still upon her, played softly on, 
played until Mrs. Ashton noiselessly entered 
the room. 

Then he ceased and the man and woman, 
standing one on either side of Betty^s bed, 
looked at each other with expressions it 
would be difficult to translate. For each 
face held a certain amount of pleading and 
of defiance. 

“She is like her mother; nicht wahrf^ the 
Professor murmured, and then withdrew. 

Afterwards for several moments Mrs. 
Ashton^s eyes never ceased regarding the 
curls of Betty’s red brown hair, that lay 
outside on her pillow. Her long braids had 
been cut off and latterly she had been 
wearing a little blue silk cap, which had 


THE INVALIDS 


159 


now slipped off on account of her restless- 
ness. 

Mrs. Ashton, glancing in a mirror at 
her own faded flaxen hair, sighed. Then, 
seating herself in a chair near by she waited 
in absolute patience and quietness, until 
suddenly from a movement upon the bed 
she guessed that Betty was waking. 

And actually her child^s lips were smiling 
upon her not only bravely but cheerfully, as 
though her sleep had brought both comfort 
and faith. 

^^Sit close by me, mother,’^ Betty said, 
'^and don’t let any one else come in for a 
long time. You know I have been trying 
to get you to tell me the history of this old 
room for ages and now this is such a splendid 
comfy chance. I am just exactly in the 
mood for hearing a long, thrilling story.” 


CHAPTER XIV 


“Which Comes Like a Benediction” 

ttrin ELL me exactly what you think, 
I Dr. Barton, please, and don^t 
try to deceive me,’’ Betty Ashton 
pleaded. want to be told the truth at 
once before mother or any one else joins us. 
Always I shall be grateful to Rose for sug- 
gesting that you come here to me alone and 
when no one was expecting you, so that 
there need be no unnecessary suspense.” 

Betty Ashton was seated in a low rock- 
ing chair one morning a few days later, 
with Dr. Barton standing near and care- 
fully unwrapping the bandages from about 
her head. The room was not brightly 
lighted, neither was it dark, for a single 
blind had been drawn up at the window on 
the opposite side of the room. 

Dr. Barton’s face showed lines of anxiety 
and sympathy. Indeed, Rose Dyer could 
hardly have been persuaded to believe how 
nervous and shaken he appeared and how, 
( 160 ) 


LIKE A BENEDICTION 161 


instead of his usual look of hardness and 
austerity, he was now as tender and gentle 
as a woman. 

^^But my dear Betty,’’ he returned in a 
more cheerful voice than his expression 
indicated, ^^what I say to you about your- 
self is by no means the last word. My 
opinion, you must remember, is of blessedly 
little importance. If there are any scars 
left by my treatment of your bums, there 
are himdreds of wonderful big doctors who 
can perform miracles for you. And then 
time is the eternal healer.” 

^'Yes, I know,” the girl answered, ^^but 
just the same, please hmry and let me know 
what you yourself honestly think. At 
least, I shall be able to teU myself whether 
my eyes are injured, as soon as you let me 
try them in a bright light.” 

For a fraction of a moment Dr. Barton 
delayed his work. Won’t you allow me 
to call your mother, or Miss Dyer or Miss 
McMurtry? Miss Dyer is in the house. I 
happen to have seen her. And it may be 
better, in case you do not feel yourself, to 
have some one else here to care for you. 
There is Sylvia. Actually I believe she has 


11 


162 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


been of as much use to you and Polly 
O’NeiU as your professional nurses.” 

At this instant, although she had set her 
lips so close together that only a pale 
line showed, Betty^s chin quivered, and 
although her hands gripped the sides of her 
chair so hard that her arms ached, her 
shoulders shook. 

If only Dr. Barton would cease his per- 
fectly futile efforts to distract her atten- 
tion. Could any human being think of 
another subject or person at a time like 
this? 

And Dr. Barton did recognize the clum- 
siness of his own efforts, only his conversa- 
tion was partly intended to conceal his 
own anxiety. 

Don’t I hear some one coming along 
the hall? Are you sure you locked the 
door?” Betty queried uneasily. 

Dr. Barton did not reply. At this 
instant, although the linen covering still 
concealed his patient’s eyes, he had re- 
moved the upper bandages, so that now 
her forehead was plainly revealed to his 
view. 

And Betty Ashton’s forehead had always 


LIKE A BENEDICTION 163 


been singularly beautiful in the past, low 
and broad with the hair growing in a soft 
fringe about it and coming down into a 
peak in the center. Now, however, across 
her forehead there showed a long crimson 
line, almost like the mark from the blow of 
a whip. Dr. Barton examined it closely, 
touched it gently with the tips of his 
fingers and then cleared his throat and 
attempted to speak. But apparently the 
needed words would not come. On either 
side the ugly scar the girPs skin was white 
and fine as delicate silk and on top of her 
head, which had been protected by her 
heavy hair, the burns had almost com- 
pletely healed. 

'^It is all right. Miss Betty,” Dr. Barton 
said in a curiously husky voice. ^^You are 
better than I even dared hope. There is a 
scar now, but I can promise you that it 
will be only a faint line in the future, or 
else will disappear altogether. The very 
fact that the trouble has concentrated into 
the one scar shows that the healing has 
taken place all about it.” 

Betty^s own hands slipped the final cov- 
ering from about her eyes. Then for a 


164 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


moment her heart seemed absolutely to 
have stopped beating. For the room swam 
around her in a kind of disordered dimness. 
She could see nothing clearly. In a panic 
she sprang to her feet, when Dr. Barton 
took a firm hold on her shaking shoulders. 

^^Be quiet, child. PuU yourself together 
for just a minute. You are frightened 
now, you know. In another moment 
things wiU clear up and grow more dis- 
tinct. 

And even before he had finished speaking 
Betty realized this to be the blessed truth. 

There in the far end of the big room 
stood her bed and, on a table near, a bunch 
of John^s pink roses. She could even see 
their bright color vividly. In another di- 
rection was her dressing table and about 
it hung the photographs of Rose, of Miss 
McMurtry, of the eleven Camp Fire girls. 

Dropping back into her chair Betty, cov- 
ering her face with her hands, began to sob. 
And she cried on without any effort at 
self-control until she was limp and 
exhausted, although all the while her heart 
was saying its own special hymn of thanks- 
giving. And young Dr. Barton kept pat- 


LIKE A BENEDICTION 165 


ting her upon the shoulder and urging her 
not to cry, because now there was nothing 
to cry about, until Betty would like to 
have laughed if the tears had not been 
bringing her a greater relief. How like a 
man not to understand that she could now 
permit herself the indulgence of tears, when 
for the past two weeks she had not dared, 
fearing that once having given way there 
would be no end. 

Would you mind leaving me for a few 
minutes and trying to find mother?’’ Betty 
at last managed to ask. 

She wanted to be alone. But a few 
seconds after the doctor’s disappearance, 
Betty got up and with trembling knees 
managed to cross her room, feeling dread- 
fully weak and exhausted from the long 
suspense. For she wished to look into a 
mirror with no one watching. And as 
Betty Ashton got the first glimpse of her- 
self, although vanity had never been one of 
her weaknesses, she honestly believed that 
she never had seen any one look so trag- 
ically ugly before in her entire life. She 
hardly recognized herself. Her face was 
white and thin, almost bloodless except for 


166 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


the scar upon her forehead. Then her hair 
had been cut off, and though in some 
places the curls still remained heavy and 
thick, in others she looked like a badly 
shorn lamb. 

And this time the tears crowding Betty ^s 
eyes were not of relief but of wounded 
vanity. 

never saw any one so hideous in my 
life,’^ she remarked aloud. ^^And I am 
truly sorry for the people who must have 
the misfortune of looking at me.’^ 

Betty was wearing an Empire blue dress- 
ing gown and slippers and stockings of the 
same color. Her eyes were dark gray and 
misty with shadows under them. She 
looked ill, of course, and unlike her usual 
self, and yet it would be difficult for any 
misfortune to have made Betty Ashton 
actually ugly. For beauty is one of the 
most difficult things in the world to define 
and one of the easiest to see — a possession 
that is at once tangible and intangible. 
And Betty possessed the gift in a remark- 
able degree. 

Therefore she did not look unattractive 
to the eyes of the young man who was now 


LIKE A BENEDICTION 167 


staring at her in astonishment, fear and 
delight, from her own open doorway, which 
Dr. Barton, on leaving the room, had 
neglected to close. 

^^I am sorry. Oh, I am so glad!'’ 
Anthony Graham murmured. “I was 
passing your room; I didn't mean to 
intrude. But nothing matters now you are 
well again and looking like yourself. It’s 

so wonderful, so splendid, so " And the 

young man, who was ordinarily quiet and 
reserved, fairly stammered with the rush 
of his own words. 

Betty walked shyly toward him with her 
eyes still filled with tears. 

^^Oh, I am dreadful to look at, but I 
must not complain," she answered wistfully. 
‘^A Camp Fire girl ought to have learned 
some lessons in bravery and endurance. 
Please let's don't talk about me. I want 
to thank you, for if it had not been for you, 
I might have — ^I can't bear to think even 
now what might have happened to me." 

^^Then don't," the young man returned 
brusquely, but Betty did not this time 
misunderstand his manner. “I did not 
do anything. I ought to have gotten to 


168 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


you sooner. I have been hating myself 
ever since for the time I took to reach you. 
After all you had done for me in the past!^^ 
The next moment the girl put her hand 
into the boy^s hard, work-roughened one. 
^^Ask Nan to tell the others for me. And 
remember that no matter what has hap- 
pened or may happen in the future, I 
shall always feel myself in your debt, not 
you in mine.^^ 


CHAPTER XV 


Secrets 

I T was sundown. The big Ashton house, 
although so filled with people, was 
oddly quiet. Betty Ashton slipped out 
of her own room into the hall and hurried 
along the empty corridor. Once only she 
stopped and smiled, partly from amuse- 
ment and partly from satisfaction. Herr 
Crippen’s door was half open and so was 
Miss McMurtry’s and the Professor was 
playing on his violin. Such sentimental 
love ditties ! The air throbbed with German 
love songs. 

And Betty had a mischievous desire to 
stick her head into Miss McMurtry’s 
room and see if she was engaged in some 
maiden-like occupation, such as marking 
school papers or reading the Woodford 
Gazette. Or was she sitting, as she should 
be, with her hands idly folded in her lap 
and her heart and mind absorbed in the 
music? Never had Betty given up her 

( 169 ) 


170 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


idea that a romance was in the making 
between their first Camp Fire guardian and 
Esther’s father. And often since their 
coming to live in her house had she not seen 
slight but convincing evidences? Why 
should Donna so often appear with a single 
white rose pinned to her dress or take to 
playing the same tunes on the piano that 
the Professor played on his violin, par- 
ticularly when she was an exceedingly poor 
pianist? 

Nevertheless it was not awe of her 
teacher and guardian that kept Betty from 
investigating the state of her emotions at 
this moment; neither was it any fear of 
antagonism between them, for since Esther’s 
departure to study in New York, Miss 
McMurtry apparently felt more affection 
for Betty than for any of the other Camp 
Fire girls. No, it was simply because 
she had a very definite purpose which she 
wished to accomplish without interruption 
or opposition. 

The next instant and she had paused 
outside a closed door and stood listening 
tensely. There were no noises inside, no 
voices, nor the stir of any person moving 


SECRETS 


171 


about. Betty put her hand on the knob 
and opened it silently. 

Instantly there was a little cry and Betty 
and PoUy O’Neill were in each other’s 
arms. 

Betty, you darling,” Polly gasped, 
“turn on every light in this room and let 
me stare and stare at you. There isn’t 
anything in the world the matter with you. 
You are as lovely as you ever were. Oh, I 
have been so frightened! I have not 
believed what anybody told me, and it 
seemed it must be a part of my punishment 
that you had been injured. It is absurd 
of me, I suppose, but I have had a kind of 
feeling that perhaps if I had been at Meg’s 
party I should have been with you at the 
time so that it couldn’t have happened.” 

“Foolish Polly! But when was Polly 
anything but foolish?” the other girl re- 
turned, taking off her cap and pushing back 
her hair. “You see I am a sight, dear, but 
it does not matter a great deal. I am kind 
of getting used to myself these last few days. 
So I didn’t see any reason why, since you 
are better and I am perfectly well, we could 
not be together. Even if it does give you a 


172 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


kind of a shock to look at me, youT get 
over it, won't you?" 

In reply Polly had one of her rather rare 
outbmsts of affection. She was never so 
demonstrative as the other girls. Her 
devotions had ways of expressing them- 
selves in an occasional compliment tendered 
perhaps in some whimsical, back-handed 
fashion, or in a fleeting caress, which came 
and was gone like the touch of a butterfly's 
wing. 

Now, however, she took her friend's face 
between her two hands and kissed her 
quietly, almost solemnly upon the line of 
her injury. 

Never say a thing like that to me again 
as long as you live, Betty Ashton. Perhaps 
I haven't as much affection as other people. 
Mother and MoUie are both insisting it 

lately. Still I know that ^but how silly 

we are to talk of it! You are not changed. 
Of course I am sorry that your hair had to 
be cut off, but it will grow out again and 
the scar will disappear. I wish I could 
get rid of my" — ^Polly hesitated — ''blem- 
ishes so easily," she finished. 

Betty looked puzzled. '^What do you 


SECRETS 


173 


mean? Sylvia says you are very much 
better and that there is no reason why 
you should not get up. She declares that 
it is only that you won^t and that she does 
not intend nursing you or letting any one 
else take care of you after a few days, 
unless you do what Dr. Barton tells you. 
Sylvia is a dreadfully firm person. She 
was quite angry with me when I said that 
I did not believe you were well and that 
I was quite strong enough now to take 
care of you and you should not get out of 
bed until you had entirely recovered.” 

^^But I have entirely recovered and I am 
well and somehow I can^t manage to 
deceive Sylvia Wharton no matter how 
hard I try,” Polly announced in a half- 
amused and haK-annoyed manner. 

^^Then why are you trying to?” Betty 
naturally queried. Of course one never 
actually expected to understand Polly 
O^Neill^s whims, but now and then one of 
them appeared a trifle more mysterious 
than the others. ^Tf you are still tired and 
feel you prefer to remain in bed, that is a 
sure sign you are not strong enough to 
get up, and Dr. Barton and Sylvia ought 


174 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


to realize it/^ she continued, still on the 
defensive. 

But Polly only smiled at her. ^^But, 
dear, I donT prefer to remain in bed. I am 
so deadly bored with it that as soon as I am 
left alone I get up and dance in the middle 
of the floor Just to have a little relief. 
CanT you and mother and MoUie under- 
stand (I donT believe any one does except 
Sylvia) that I don’t want to get up because 
I don’t want to have to face the music?” 

Still the other girl looked puzzled. 

Can’t you see that as long as I have 
been able to be sick nobody has dared to 
say very much to me about my escapade 
in New York? Oh, of course I know what 
they think and mother did manage to say 
a good deal before we came home; still, 
there is a great deal more retribui^ n 
awaiting me. In the first place, I shall 
have to go home to the Wharton house. 
I realize it has been dreadful, my being 
sick here, but I am everlastingly grateful 
to you and your mother. Mr. Wharton 
won’t say anything much; he really is very 
kind to me; but naturally I know what he 
thinks. And then when Frank Wharton is 


SECRETS 


175 


there it will be so much worse. You see, 
Frank and I quarreled once, because I 
thought he was rude to mother. And of 
course he considers my disobedience worse 
than his rudeness. And as he is perfectly 
right, I canT imagine how I shall answer 
him back the next time we argue.'’ 

As Polly talked she had risen into a 
sitting posture in bed and was now leaning 
her chin on her hand in a characteristic atti- 
tude and quite unconscious of the amusing 
side to her argument until Betty laughed. 

Polly had on a scarlet flannel dressing 
sacque and her hair was tied with scarlet 
ribbons. And indeed her cheeks were 
almost equally vivid in color. 

^'But there isn't anything funny about 
my punishment, Betty dear. And the 
worst of it is that I know I deserve all of it 
and more and shan't ever have the right to 
complain. Mother declares that she does 
not expect to allow me to leave Woodford 
again until I am twenty-one, since she has 
no more faith in me. And then, and 
then — " Polly's entire face now changed 
expression — ^^has any one told you that my 
behavior is to be openly discussed at the 


176 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


next meeting of our Camp Fire Club? Per- 
haps I won^t be allowed to be a member 
any longer/^ 

Instantly Betty jumped up from her 
kneeling position by the bed and com- 
menced walking up and down the length of 
the room, saying nothing at first, but with 
her lips set in obstinate lines. 

^^But it isn’t the custom of Camp Fire 
clubs to act as both judge and jury, is it, 
Polly?” she inquired. '^At least, I have 
never heard of any other club’s under- 
taking such a task. We are allowed, I 
know, to be fairly free in what we do in 
our individual clubs, but somehow this 
action seems unkind and dangerous. For 
if once we begin criticising one another’s 
faults or mistakes, after a while there won’t 
be any club. Right now Edith Norton is 
behaving very foolishly, I think, but I 
wouldn’t dream of even discussing her with 

you or any one of the girls. I ” Betty 

paused to get her breath, her indignation 
and opposition to Polly’s information over- 
whelming her. 

But Polly held out both hands, entreat- 
ing her to sit beside her again. 


SECRETS 


177 


^^You are mistaken. I did not explain 
the circumstances to you as I should have. 
It is aU my idea and my plan to have the 
girls consider my misconduct and find out 
how they feel about me/^ Polly explained 
quietly. spoke of it first to Rose and 
then to Miss McMurtry and at first they 
thought in a measure as you do. But I 
donT agree with you. You remember that 
our honor beads come to us for obedience 
and service to our Camp Fire laws. Why 
should not disobedience make us unworthy 
to wear them? In the old days if an 
Indian offended against the laws of his 
tribe he was made to suffer the penalty. 
And I donT want you girls to keep me in 
our club just because you are sorry for me 
and are too kind to be just. Mollie has 
told me how horrified Meg and Eleanor 
and Nan are, and of course Rose and 
Donna have not pretended to hide their 
disapproval, even during their consolation 
visits to me as an invalid. But you will 
forgive me, wonT you, Betty Polly ended 
with more penitence than she had yet 
shown to any one save her mother. 

“Of course I forgive you. But if you 


12 


178 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


had not gotten weU I should never have 
forgiven Esther/^ the other girl answered. 

Two fingers were laid quickly across 
Betty Ashton’s lips. 

Don’t be unfair and absurd,” Polly 
protested; ^^for some day you may be 
sorry if you don’t understand just how big 
and generous Esther Crippen is. It isn’t 
only that she would sacrifice her own 
desires for other people’s, but that she 
actually has. I would not be surprised if 
Esther did not have some secret or other.” 
And Polly stopped suddenly, biting her 
tongue. Not for worlds would she even in 
the slightest fashion betray a suspicion or 
inference of her own concerning the friend 
who had been so loyal and devoted to her. 

Fortunately Betty was too intent upon 
her own thoughts to have heard her. 

have to go back to my own room 
now, but you are not to worry, Polly mine, 
not about anything. In the first place, 
you are not to go home very soon. I have 
talked to your mother and mine and 
persuaded them that I need to have you 
stay on here with me. I do need you, 
Polly. It is queer, but I want you to come 


SECRETS 


179 


and sleep in the old back room with me. 
I have gotten nervous being in there by 
myself. There is a mystery about the 
room greater than I have dreamed. I 
have only been joking half the time when I 
have spoken of it. But the other day I 
got mother to the point where there was no 
possible excuse for her not explaining the 
entire reason for her attitude and Dick^s 
toward the place, when suddenly she broke 
down and left me. We might amuse our- 
selves while we are invalids discovering 
whether or not it is haunted. Only I don^t 
exactly wish to make the discovery alone.’’ 


CHAPTER XVI 


The Law of the Fire 

M OLLIE O^NEILL walked slowly 
toward the Ashton house one 
afternoon not long afterwards at 
about four o’clock, looking unusually 
serious and uncomfortable. She was wear- 
ing a long coat buttoned up to her chin and 
coming down to the bottom of her dress, 
and was carrying a big book. 

^'MoUie, there isn’t anything the matter? 
Neither Betty nor Polly is worse again?” 
Billy Webster inquired, unexpectedly strid- 
ing across from the opposite side of the 
street and not stopping to offer his greet- 
ing before beginning his questioning. 

Mollie shook her head, although her face 
still retained so solemn an expression that 
the young man was plainly alarmed. 
Ordinarily MoUie’s blue eyes were as un- 
troubled as blue lakes and her forehead 
and mouth as free from the lines of care or 
even annoyance. 


( 180 ) 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 181 


Billy Webster put the book under his 
arm and continued walking along beside 
her. 

there is anything that troubles you, 
MoUie, and you believe that I can help 
you, please don’t ever fail to call on me,” 
he suggested in the gentle tones that he 
seemed ever to reserve for this girl alone. 
^‘1 know that PoUy is dreadfully angry 
over my interference in New York, but so 
long as you and your mother thought I 
did right and were grateful to me, I don’t 
care how Polly feels — at least, I don’t care 
a great deal. And I believe I should 
behave in exactly the same way if I had 
it all to do over again.” 

Shyly and yet with an admiration that 
she did not attempt to conceal Mollie 
glanced up at her companion. Billy was 
always so determined, so sure of his own 
ideas of right and wrong, that once having 
made a decision or taken a step, he never 
appeared to regret it afterwards. And this 
attitude under the present circumstances 
was a consolation to Mollie. For often- 
times since Polly’s return and while endur- 
ing her reproaches, she had experienced 


182 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


twinges of conscience for having concerned 
an outsider in their family affairs, though 
somehow Billy did not seem like an out- 
sider. Polly had insisted that she had been 
most unwise in asking him to look up 
Esther and herself immediately upon his 
arrival in New York. How much better 
had she waited and let Polly make her 
confession to their mother later, thus sav- 
ing all of them excitement and strain! 
However, since Billy was still convinced 
that he would do the same thing over again 
in a similar position, MoUie felt her own 
uncertainty vanish. 

^^No, there isnT anything you can help 
about this afternoon,’’ she replied. am 
only going to a monthly meeting of our 
Council Fire. The girls told me that if I 
liked I need not come, yet it seems almost 
cowardly to stay away. For you see Polly 
has insisted that we talk over her conduct 
and decide whether or not we wish her to 
remain a member of our club. Or at least 
whether some of her honor beads should be 
taken from her and her rank reduced. 
There is a good deal of difference of opin- 
ion. For some of the girls are convinced 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 183 


that once our honor beads are lawfully 
won, nothing and no one has the right to 
take them from us; while others feel that 
breaking the law of the Camp Fire should 
render one unworthy of a high position in 
the Council and that even though one is 
not asked to resign, at least one should be 
relegated to the ranks again. But of course 
aU this is a secret and must never be 
spoken of except in our club.’^ 

^^Like an officer stripped of his epau- 
lettes,’’ BiUy murmured. And afterwards: 
''See here, MoUie, if this is a club secret 
then you ought not to have told me and I 
ought not to have listened. For it is 
pretty rough on Polly. But I promise not 
to mention it and will try to forget. We 
must not make her any more down upon 
me than she is already.” 

The young man and girl had now come to 
the Ashton front gate, and as they stopped, 
BiUy gave the book to Mollie and could 
not forbear patting her encouragingly upon 
the coat sleeve. She looked so gentle and 
worried. Polly always seemed to be get- 
ting her into hot water without really in- 
tending that Mollie should be made to suffer. 


184 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


wiU turn out all right, I am sure,’' 
he insisted in a convincing tone. ^^Your 
sister will always have too many friends to 
let things go much against her in this 
world.” 

Mollie found that the other girls had 
already assembled in the Ashton drawing 
room and, as she was late, the camp fire 
had been laid and lighted, following the 
same ceremony as if it had taken place out- 
doors. 

The members were all present excepting 
Polly, who had declined coming down to 
make her own defense, and Esther, who 
was still at work in New York. The two 
Field girls, Juhet and Beatrice, completed 
the original number, as they were both in 
Woodford for the winter attending the 
High School. Rose Dyer, with Faith’s 
hand tight in hers, appeared uneasy and 
distressed. In her role of Camp Fire Guar- 
dian she was not assured of the wisdom of 
their proceedings and could find no prec- 
edent for it among other Camp Fire clubs. 
However, Miss McMurtry had consented 
to join their meeting and, as she had been 
the original and was now the head Guar- 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 185 


dian of all the clubs in Woodford, the 
responsibility might honestly be shared 
with her. 

For the first time since her accident 
Betty Ashton was able to attend a gather- 
ing of the Ck)uncil Fire; and although she 
was the center of the greater part of the 
attention and affection in the room, Betty 
appeared as nervous and worried as MoUie 
O^Neill. 

To both of the girls this open discussion 
of one of their club member^s misdeeds was 
abhorrent. And that the accused should 
be their adored but often misguided Polly 
made the situation the more tragic and 
distasteful. 

Although she was not yet in a position 
to be positive, Betty felt reasonably con- 
vinced that Edith Norton was at the bot- 
tom of this formal judgment of Polly. So 
skilfully and quietly had the older girl gone 
to work that both Rose Dyer and Miss 
McMurtry were under the impression that 
the original suggestion had come from the 
culprit herself. 

Yet the truth was that Edith Norton 
had a smaller nature than any other mem- 


186 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


ber of the Sunrise Hill Camp Fire Club and 
she and Polly had never been real friends 
since the night long ago of the Indian 
^^Maiden^s Feast/^ when Edith thinking 
to fix the guilt of a theft upon Nan 
Graham, had wakened Polly to a sudden 
sense of her own responsibility. And it 
was following a visit of condolence to 
Polly^s sick room by Edith that swift as a 
flash Polly had announced herseh as willing 
and ready to have her conduct considered 
by the club council. For it afterwards 
appeared that Edith had casually men- 
tioned that the other girls had been talking 
among themselves of this question of 
Polly^s fitness or unfitness to continue a 
Torch Bearer^’ in the club. So with her 
usual recklessness and impulsiveness she 
had insisted that her offense be openly 
considered and that she receive whatever 
punishment might be considered just. 
Never had she planned denying her mis- 
deed nor taking refuge behind her friends’ 
affection. 

Therefore both Betty and MoUie had 
been entreated, even ordered, to listen 
quietly to whatever might be said of her 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 187 


behavior and without protest. And Mollie 
had agreed. Betty had reserved the right 
to use her own discretion and had no inten- 
tion of not making herself felt when the 
moment arrived. 

After the regular business of the meeting 
had been concluded a marked silence fol- 
lowed, the girls hardly daring even to 
glance toward one another. 

Rose Dyer coughed nervously, yet as 
she had been chosen to set PoUy^s case 
plainly before the other girls and to ask 
for their frank opinions of what action, if 
any, the Sunrise Hill Club desired to take, 
her responsibility must not be evaded. Of 
course all of the girls had previously heard 
the entire story, but perhaps in a more or 
less highly colored fashion. And partic- 
ularly Polly O^Neill insisted that Esther 
Crippen^s part in her action be explained. 
For Esther must not be held in any w^ay 
accountable, as both Betty and Mollie had 
been inclined to feel. 

When Rose had finished a simple state- 
ment of the facts of the case and had asked 
to hear from the other club members, 
no one answered. Betty kept her eyes 


188 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


severely fastened upon Edith Norton^s 
face. Surely Edith must be aware of her 
knowledge of certain facts that were as 
much to her discredit as PoUy’s disobe- 
dience. Of course nothing could induce 
her to make capital of this knowledge, 
since Betty Ashton’s interpretation of 
Camp Fire loyalty was of a different kind 
from Edith Norton’s, as the older girl 
was one day to find out. Nevertheless 
there was nothing to prevent Betty 
from using her influence with the hope 
that Edith might be discouraged from 
making any suggestion that would start 
the tide of feeling rolling against the cul- 
prit. 

This Council Meeting might be a greater 
test of the entire Camp Fire organization 
than any one of the girls realized. Possibly 
it had been a mistake to allow the fitness 
or unfitness of a fellow member to be 
openly discussed; especially when the 
girl was Polly O’Neill, for Polly was a 
powerful influence always and the club 
might easily split upon a criticism of her. 
Whatever should happen, however, Betty 
Ashton intended using every effort to keep 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 189 


the Sunrise Hill Camp together, saving 
PoUy also if she could. 

In spite of her friend^s restraining glance, 
Edith apparently failed to regard her, 
for instead she glanced insinuatingly to- 
ward Eleanor Meade and Meg Everett. 
Both these girls had expressed themselves 
as deeply shocked and grieved over Polly^s 
behavior, though neither of them appeared 
to be ready to make any statement of their 
views on this occasion. It was one thing 
to express an informal opinion of another 
girks action, but quite another to make a 
formal accusation against her in the club 
where they had lived and worked and grown 
together in bonds almost closer than family 
ones. 

Next Edith studied Sylvia Wharton^s 
expression. Day and night had Sylvia 
nursed PoUy with infinite patience, and yet 
she had made no effort to conceal her dis- 
approval of her stepsister's conduct and 
Sylvia might always be relied upon for an 
honest and straightforward statement of 
her opinion. Yet Sylvia's face at the 
present moment was as empty as though 
she had never had an idea in her life. 


190 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Just why this continuing silence should 
make the original Sunrise Hill Camp Fire 
guardian smile, no one understood. How- 
ever, the Lady of the Hill knew very well 
why and was feeling strangely relieved. 
For had she not permitted a dangerous 
test of the Camp Fire spirit to be tried and 
were the girls not responding just as she 
had hoped and believed they would? Surely 
during these past two years they had been 
developing a real understanding of com- 
radeship, the abihty to stick together, to 
keep step. And girls and women had for 
so many centuries been accused of the 
inability to do this. 

think that no one of us holds Esther 
Crippen in any way responsible for Polly 
O’Neill’s action or for continuing to keep 
her family in ignorance of what she was 
doing,” Edith finally began in a rather 
weak voice, seeing that no one else showed 
any sign of speaking. “It is one of the 
things that I think she is most to be blamed 
for, since it is hardly fair to bring another 
club member into a difficulty on account 
of her feeling of personal loyalty.” 

Betty frowned. There was so much of 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 191 


truth in Edith^s speech that it could hardly 
fail to carry a certain amount of conviction. 

But before any one could reply, Sylvia 
Wharton got up from the floor, where she 
had been sitting in Camp Fire fashion, 
and crossing the room, stood before the 
flames, facing the circle of girls with her 
hands clasped in front of her and her lips 
shut tight together. Her usually sallow 
skin was a good deal flushed. 

“I am going to make a motion to this 
club,” she announced, ^^but before I do 
I want to say something, and everybody 
knows how hard it is for me to talk. I can 
do things sometimes, but I can’t say them. 
Just now Edith Norton used the word, 
^loyalty.’ I am glad she did, because it is 
just what I want to speak of — because it 
seems to me that loyalty is the very founda- 
tion stone of all our Camp Fires. Of 
course Polly has broken a part of our law. 
She has failed to be trustworthy, but I am 
not going into that, since each one of you 
can have your own opinion of her behavior 
and would have it anyway no matter what 
I said. But the whole point is, won’t 
every single girl in the Sunrise Hill Camp 


192 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Rre Club possibly break some of the 
rules some day? As we are only human, 
I think we are pretty sure to. So I 
move that we say nothing more about 
Polly. Perhaps others of us have done 
things nearly as bad or wiU do them. 
But more important and what I would 
so much like to persuade you to feel about 
as I feel is this:^’ — and Sylvia’s plain 
face worked with the strength of an emotion 
which few people had ever seen her display 
before — want us to promise ourselves 
and one another that no matter what any 
fellow member of the Sunrise Hill Camp 
Fire Club ever does, or what mistake she 
may make, or even what sin she may com- 
mit, that no one of us will ever turn her 
back upon her or fail to do anything and 
everything in our power to help her and to 
make things happy and comfortable again. 
I wish I could talk like Betty and Polly, 
but you do understand what I mean,” 
Sylvia concluded with tears compounded 
of embarrassment and earnestness standing 
in her light blue eyes. 

'^Hear, hear!” whispered Miss McMurtry 
a little uncertainly. 


THE LAW OF THE FIRE 193 


Rose Dyer clapped her hands softly 
together. The sound gave the necessary 
suggestion to the other girls, and poor 
Sylvia crept back to her place in the circle 
in a storm of applause. It was the simplest 
method by which the girls could reveal 
their deeper emotions. A few moments 
afterward Sylvia’s proposal was put into 
the form of a regular motion and carried 
without a dissenting voice. 


13 


CHAPTER XVII 


A Figitre in the Night 

ii ^I^OLLY/^ a muffled voice murmured 
in so low a tone that the sound was 
^ scarcely audible. Then a cold 
hand was slid beneath the bed clothes, 
clasping a warm, relaxed one and pressing 
it with sudden intensity. 

Betty, did you call me?^^ Polly O^Neill 
inquired, turning over sleepily and trying 
to pierce the darkness so as to get a view 
of her companion. Now that she was 
coming to her senses, she could feel Betty’s 
body straining close up against her own 
and her lips almost touching her ear. 

It was between two and three o’clock in 
the morning and the two friends had been 
sleeping together in Betty Ashton’s old- 
fashioned four-post bed, hung with blue 
curtains that opened only for a space of 
several feet in the center of the two sides. 
The room was dark and cold, for there was 
no light burning and the sky outside held 

( 194 ) 


A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT 195 


tke blAeknese that often precedes the dawn. 
A window was open, letting in sudden gusts 
of freezing air. 

'^You aren’t ill, are you?” PoUy was 
about to ask when the other girl’s fingers 
closed over her mouth. 

Don’t speak and don’t stir,” Betty 
whispered, still in almost noiseless tones. 

Just listen for a moment. Try and not be 
frightened, but do you think you can hear 
any one moving about in this room?” 

For the first instant Polly felt a decided 
inclination to laugh. What an absurd 
suggestion Betty was making! She must 
have been asleep and dreamed something 
that had frightened her. It was rather to 
be expected, however, after the shock of 
her accident at the cabin. Therefore it 
would be best to gratify her fancy; and 
PoUy set herself to listening dutifully. 

Then Polly herself started, only to feel 
once more the other girl’s restraining clasp. 
But the sound she had heard was only the 
banging of the blind against the window. 
Nevertheless with the quick Irish sensitive- 
ness to impressions, to subtle suggestions, 
she was beginning to have a terrifjdng 


196 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


consciousness of some other person in their 
bedroom than herself and Betty. And yet 
she had so far heard nothing, seen nothing. 

^^Look through the opening in the cur- 
tain toward the farthest end of the room — 
there by the big closet door,’^ Betty whis- 
pered. “Be perfectly still, for I am quite 
sure that the figure has passed entirely 
around the room twice as though it were 
groping for something. I can^t see, I can 
only hear it, and once I felt sure that a hand 
touched our bed.’^ 

Shadowy, terrifyingly silent, an indis- 
tinct outline was discernible along the 
opposite wall and a hand moving slowly up 
and down it as if searching for something. 
Could it be for the door of the closet only 
a few feet away? 

Both girls for the moment were too 
frightened or too surprised to stir or to call 
out. The idea of jumping suddenly from 
the bed and running toward the intruder 
had occurred to Betty, who was the more 
widely awake, although she had confessed 
to herself that she was neither brave nor 
foolish enough to do it. For the figure was 
too mysterious, too uncertain, and whether 


A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT 197 


man or woman, boy or girl, she had no 
conception. Why, it was only the fact 
of the hand which proved that it was even 
human! 

Then both girls lay rigid once more, 
with not a muscle moving, scarcely believ- 
ing that they breathed. For the form was 
again flitting down the length of the room, 
possibly toward their bed. The next 
second and it had passed through Betty^s 
evidently unlatched door and vanished 
noiselessly into the hall. 

Polly was sleeping on the outside of the 
bed, so it was she who first leaped upon the 
floor, turning on the electric light until the 
room was brilliantly illuminated. 

You are not to stir until I can go along 
with you,’^ Betty protested, following her 
immediately. And then both girls lost a 
moment of time in putting on their dressing 
gowns, for the night was bitterly cold. 

Shall we call somebody flrst?^^ Folly 
inquired, all at once in the lighted room 
feeling uncertain as to whether the experi- 
ence through which they had lately passed 
had been a real one. Nothing in their 
room was changed in the least since their 


198 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


going to bed. There were Betty^s clothes 
on one chair and her own upon another. 
There was the book she had been reading 
left open upon the desk, and Betty^s un- 
finished letter to Esther. Had they both 
gone suddenly mad? 

But Betty had lighted a candle; so 
Polly followed until they were able to light 
the gas in the second story hall. 

There was no one about. All the other 
bedroom doors were safely closed and the 
Professor was apparently snoring hoarsely. 

Shall we call your mother or wake up 
anybody?^^ Polly questioned. But Betty 
shook her head. She looked pale, and her 
eyes were uncomfortably mystified. Other- 
wise she appeared perfectly self-controlled. 

“No, let us not call anybody and not 
mention ©ur alarm until morning. If our 
visitor was a burglar, he knows that we are 
aware of his presence and so won’t try any 
more performances tonight. And if it 
wasn’t a burglar, but a ghost, why, there is 
no use frightening mother to death and we 
will only get laughed at by the others. 
It seems queer to me for either a ghost or a 
burglar to come into a house so filled with 


A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT 199 


people. If you donT mind, Polly, let us 
just go on back to bed and leave the light 
burning for our consolation. We had both 
better try to sleep.^^ 

Sleep, however, after their few moments 
of terror and in the face of the enigma of 
their unexplained visitor, was impossible. 
Also the hght in the bedroom did not 
induce slumber, although both girls found it 
agreeable. Their door leading out into the 
corridor was now securely latched, notwith- 
standing that Betty was not in the habit of 
locking it. 

Betty,’' Polly asked after a few moments 
of silence, when the two friends were back 
again in bed with their arms clasped close 
about each other, “the closet there at the 
end of your room — is it one where either 
you or your mother keep your clothes?” 

“No,” the other girl repeated thought- 
fully. “I had not thought of that. But 
it only makes things queerer than ever. 
For the closet is a particularly large one 
and has always been stored with rubbish. 
It has an old trunk in it and some pictures 
and boxes. I don’t think there is anything 
of value, though I don’t know exactly 


200 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


what is in the trunk, or the boxes either for 
that matter. I have often meant to clear 
the place out, but I have never needed the 
space and mother pokes around in it 
sometimes. It is ridiculous to suppose 
that a burglar would take an interest in old 
trash, when there are so many other 
valuable things about. Besides, suppose 
there should happen to be a few treasures 
in one of the boxes or the trunk, nobody 
could know about it when I don’t. Oh 
dear, I wish it were morning!” 

Betty sighed deeply, tumbling about 
restlessly in a fashion that made her a very 
undesirable bed companion. And yet Polly, 
who was ordinarily nervous from the slight- 
est movement, made no protest. And she 
said nothing more for some time, although 
it was self-evident that she was not growing 
sleepy. Her rather oddly shaped blue 
eyes had a far-away, almost uncanny 
light in them, that somehow added to 
Betty’s discomfort. 

^^Look here, Polly O’Neill,” she pro- 
tested, giving her arm an affectionate 
squeeze, “please don’t be wishing a ghost 
upon us. I know you have always believed 


A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT 201 


in Irish fairies and elves and hobgoblins 
and the like, and used to fuss with poor 
Mollie and me outrageously because we 
couldnT or wouldn't see them. But tonight 
— Oh, well, even Irish ghosts don't come 
strolling into one's bedroom. They at least 
have the courtesy to stay in churchyards 
and in haunted ruins." 

^^Yes, but isn't this the haunted room of 
this house, Betty?" PoUy inquired in a 
faintly teasing voice, which yet held a note 
of serious questioning in it. 

And immediately Betty's face grew white 
and frightened, far more so than at any 
moment before during their adventure, so 
that the other girl was instantly regretful 
of her speech. 

^'PoUy O'Neill," two firm hands next 
took hold on Polly's thin shoulders, turning 
her deliberately over in bed so that she was 
forced to face her questioner, ^^ever since 
I can remember there has been some 
mystery or other connected with this old 
room. Of course it is not haunted. I 
suppose sensible people don't believe in 
ghosts, though I don't see why not believing 
makes them fail to exist But the room 


202 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


may have had a tragedy of some kind take 
place in it, something that both mother and 
Dick find it painful to mention or recall. 
I told you that mother would not explain 
her feeling to me when I insisted upon 
knowing. However, I don^t think my 
family has the right to keep a secret from 
me. I am nearly grown now and no longer 
the kind of girl I used to be. So see here, 
Polly. Look me directly in the eyes. 
Oftentimes outsiders hear things first. 
Have you ever heard of a sorrow or accident, 
or even something worse, that may have 
occurred in this house or even in this room 
when I was too little a girl to understand 
or remember it? You must tell me the 
truth.’’ 

Polly shook her head, devoutly thankful 
at the moment for her own lack of informa- 
tion. With Betty’s beautiful, honest gray 
eyes searching her own, with her lips 
trembling and her cheeks flushed with the 
fervor of her desire, her friend would have 
found deceiving her extremely difficult. 
Yet it was more agreeable to change the 
subject of their talk, even though it con- 
tinued upon dangerous grounds. 


A FIGURE IN THE NIGHT 203 


^^No, Betty, I was not thinking of 
ghosts nor of the fact that you have always 
been absurdly curious about the mystery of 
this room. I was thinking of something 
altogether different — of a thief, in fact — 
and I was wondering whether you would 
be angry or hurt or both if I mention 
something to you?^^ Polly returned. 

Betty kissed her friend^s thin cheek, 
wishing at the same instant that it would 
grow more rounded, now that Polly was 
presumably well. '^You don’t usually 
mind making me angry, dear,” she smiled. 

And I don’t see why if you have a possible 
theory of a burglar that I should be hurt. 
Do you think the figure we saw was a 
man’s or a woman’s?” 

^^I don’t know,” the other girl rephed. 
^^What I have been wondering is just this: 
Has any one in this house ever come into 
this room with your mother when she was 
rummaging in that old closet, to help her 
move the furniture or hft things about?” 

For a moment Betty frowned and then 
her face flamed crimson. 

^^You are not fair, Polly. You never 
have approved of his living here or my 


204 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


being kind to him. And you have said 
half a dozen times that there was no special 
point in my being particularly grateful to 
him, since any one of our friends would 
have done just what he did, had they been 
equally near me. But then of course 
that does not alter the fact. Now just 
because he has been in here to assist mother 
does not prove anything, does not even 
make it fair to be suspicious.’^ 

Polly shrugged her shoulders. knew 
you would be angry, so I am sorry I spoke. 
But you see our first meeting in the woods 
with the young man when your safety 
box was almost stolen from you was a 
little unfortunate. But I don’t say that 
I suspect any one, either, and I have no 
intention of not being fair. However, I do 
intend to keep on the lookout. Now kiss 
me good morning, for I am going to turn 
out the light. The gray dawn seems at 
last to be breaking and perhaps we may both 
get a little sleep before breakfast time.” 


CHAPTER XVIII 


Uncertainty 

I N spite of their own entire conviction 
the story told the next day by Polly 
and Betty to the various members of 
the Ashton household was received with 
little credulity. Even Mrs. Ashton was 
inclined to be skeptical after finding that 
nothing in the big house had been stolen 
or even disarranged. There was no win- 
dow that had been pried open and no door 
left unlocked. Then why, even if the 
robber had entered the house by some 
mysterious process of his own, had he gone 
away again empty-handed? There were 
many pieces of valuable silver in the lower 
part of the establishment, pictures, even 
single ornaments that could be sold for fair 
sums of money. Therefore why climb to 
the second story and enter the girls^ room 
first? 

Although Betty and Polly were too 
deeply offended by the suggestion to allow 

( 205 ) 


206 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


it to be freely discussed, Miss McMmiiry^s 
idea that they had had a kind of sympa- 
thetic nightmare, or at least a mutual 
hallucination, was the most commonly 
accepted theory. It was an extremely 
annoying point of view to both the girls, 
of course, but as they had nothing to dis- 
prove it, they were obliged after several 
futile arguments to let the matter rest. 
Naturally their Camp Fire friends were 
delightfully thrilled by the anecdote, but 
as it was always received either with open 
or carefully concealed disbelief, after a few 
days neither Polly nor Betty cared to 
speak of it except to each other. 

There was one person, however, who, 
whether or not he believed the truth of 
their story, at least accepted it with 
extreme seriousness. And it was to him 
that Polly O’Neill made a determined 
effort to be the first narrator of their expe- 
rience. 

Anthony Graham was in the habit of 
getting up earlier than any one else in the 
Ashton house and had of course dis- 
appeared hours before either of the girls 
awakened the morning after their nearly 


UNCERTAINTY 


207 


sleepless night. However, he was accus- 
tomed to returning to his small room in the 
third story at about half-past five o^clock 
every afternoon, when his work for the day 
was over, in order to change his clothes for 
the evening. So at about this time Polly 
found it convenient to be in the hallway 
leading to his room and to be there alone. 

As he walked toward her unconscious of 
her presence, in spite of her prejudice 
against him she could not fail to see how 
much the young man had improved. He 
was hardly recognizable as the boy with 
whom they had had the encounter in the 
woods a little more than a year before. 
He was shabby enough and as lean as a 
young animal that has had too much 
exercise and too little food. His face was 
serious, almost sad; nevertheless Polly had 
no intention of not pursuing her investiga- 
tion. 

She had seated herself on a narrow win- 
dow ledge and was presumably peering out 
at the trees in the garden. 

As he caught sight of her the young man 
started with a perfectly natural surprise. 
For although Polly had been in the same 


208 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


house with him now for a number of weeks, 
they had not seen each other more than 
half a dozen times and had only talked 
together once when Betty had made a 
point of introducing them as though they 
had never met before. 

Perhaps some recollection of their original 
coming together was in Anthony^s memory, 
for he blushed a kind of duU brick red, 
when PoUy, turning deliberately from her 
window seat, said: ^^Mr. Graham, I won- 
der if you would mind giving me a minute 
of your time. There is something I wish 
to tell you.’’ 

^'Certainly,” he answered and then stood 
fingering his hat in the same awkward 
fashion that he had employed in his Thanks- 
giving visit to Betty, yet regarding the girl 
herself with a totally different sensation. 

For instinctively Anthony Graham rec- 
ognized that Polly O’Neill was or might 
become his enemy. Not that she would 
do him any wrong, but that if ever he was 
able to set out to accomplish the desire of 
his heart, the weight of her influence and 
feeling would be against him. And he did 
not underestimate the compelling power of 


UNCERTAINTY 


209 


a nature like Polly’s. She was wayward^ 
high tempered, sometimes appearing unreli- 
able and almost unloving. Yet this last 
fact was never true of her. It was only 
that her personality was of the kind that 
can want but one thing at a time with all 
the passion and force of which it is capable. 
And pursuing this desire, she might seem 
to forget her other impulses. Polly, how- 
ever, never did put aside her few really vital 
affections. She and Betty Ashton might 
quarrel, might continue to disagree as they 
had so often done in the past; yet Betty’s, 
welfare and happiness would always be of 
intense concern to her friend. More 
because of the quality of her imagination 
than from any single witnessed fact, Polly 
had lately suspected that Anthony might 
learn to care more for her friend than would 
be comfortable for anybody concerned in 
the affair. And undoubtedly the young 
man had once been a thief if intention 
counted. Therefore he might be a thief 
again, and in any case probably needed to 
be forewarned of a number of things. 

There was a burglar in our room last 
night,” PoUy began, wasting no time in 


14 


210 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


preliminaries, but keeping her blue eyes 
fixed so directly upon Anthony^s that they 
were like blue flames. 

Even before he could reply the young 
man wondered how there could be people 
who thought this girl beautiful or even 
pretty. It was true that at times her eyes 
were strangely magnetic, that her hair was 
always black with that peculiar almost 
dead luster, and her lips like two fine scarlet 
lines. Yet she was always too thin, her 
chin too pointed and her cheekbones too 
high to touch any of his ideals of beauty. 

— I am sorry. That is — what do you 
meanV^ the young fellow stammered stu- 
pidly. And all at once the scowl gathered 
upon his face that Betty Ashton had once 
misunderstood. It was a black, ugly look, 
and in this case certainly was inspired by 
the impression that because of his former 
misdeed, Polly might now be suspecting 
him of another. 

And she left him no room for doubt. 

^^Oh, I am not exactly accusing you,^’ 
she remarked coolly, ‘^for I presume that 
would hardly be fair. But I am not going 
to pretend that I feel as much confidence in 


UNCERTAINTY 


211 


you as I do in the people against whom I 
know nothing. I can’t. Perhaps I may 
some day when you have made good, but 
it is a httle too soon to expect it of me, as I 
am not an idealist hke some girls. So last 
night, though we did not have any reason 
to suspect that the person who entered our 
room and then stole out again without our 
ever really seeing him or her had anything 
to do with you, I must confess I did think 
of you. Because, though it is just as well 
not to talk about it, there is no question 
but that the intruder was already hving in 
this house. No one came in from the out- 
side. So you see it is hke this: I don’t 
begin to say that it was you, but I am 
going to be on the watch and it is just as 
fair to warn you openly as to suspect you 
in secret. Then there is another thing. 
Personally I don’t beheve we had a ghostly 
visitant, as Betty is inchned to think 
because of the mystery of that particular 
room. So suppose we take it for granted 
that you had nothing to do with our expe- 
rience, then will you help Betty and me to 
find out who or what it was? We do not 
want to create too much disturbance over it.” 


212 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Just how many varying emotions had 
passed through Anthony Graham^s mind 
during PoUy^s amazing speech, it would be 
difficult to express. He was bitterly angry 
of course, deeply wounded and resentful, 
and yet he could not but have a certain 
respect for the girPs outspokenness, for 
her kind of brutal courage. Certainly he 
was given notice not to repeat his offense, 
if offense he had committed. And as 
proof of his own innocence it might be as 
wise for him to discover the real offender. 

Anthony kept a hold on himself by a 
fine effort of self-control. The truth was 
that he and Polly O^Neill were not altogether 
unlike in disposition, and he had a temper 
and a will to match with hers. Notwith- 
standing, he appreciated that this was not 
the occasion for revealing weakness. 

Therefore he merely bowed with such 
quiet courtesy that Polly was secretly 
astonished. 

'^You are unfair in suspecting me of 
having violated Mrs. Ashton^s confidence 
simply because I once tried to commit a 
theft. Though of course I know that 
most people would feel just as you do. 


UNCERTAINTY 


213 


Does Betty — does Miss Ashton he in- 

quired. 

Polly frowned. ^^No/’ she responded 
curtly. 

“Then wiU you tell her, please, that you 
have confided what has happened to me 
and that I will do my best to ferret out the 
mystery.’’ 

And Anthony walked past and into his 
own room, closing the door noiselessly 
behind him. 

With a shrug of her thin shoulders Polly 
stood for another moment regarding the 
shut door. “I am sorry to say it, but he 
has behaved a great deal better than I ex- 
pected,” she thought to herself with a smile 
at her own expense. 


CHAPTER XIX 


An Unspoken Possibility 
HE two friends were walking home 



from school together about ten days 


^ later. They had both stayed until 
almost dusk engaged in different pursuits. 

Betty was doing some extra studying 
with Miss McMurtry, as she had missed 
so much time and science was always her 
weakest point; while Polly had been having 
an hour^s quiet talk with her former elocu- 
tion teacher, Miss Adams. Probably she 
w^as the one person in Woodford, excepting 
Betty, who sympathized in the least with 
Polly in her escapade. Or if she did not 
exactly sympathize with her, she was sorry 
for the retribution that she had brought 
upon herself. For Mrs. Wharton had 
decreed that her daughter was not to leave 
Woodford again and was not even to be 
permitted to study anything in the village 
with the view of its being useful to her later 
in a stage career. The subject was to be 


( 214 ) 


AN UNSPOKEN POSSIBILITY 215 


entirely tabooed until Polly reached twenty- 
one, when if she were of the same mind, 
she might choose her own future. Of course 
to an impatient nature three years and a 
few months over seemed like an eternity, 
and except for Betty^s sympathy and her 
frequent talks with Miss Adams and the lat- 
ter^s accounts of her great cousin, Margaret 
Adams, Polly believed existence would 
have been unendurable. 

She was in such a state of excitement 
now over something which Miss Adams 
had been recently teUing her, that at first 
she hardly heard what Betty was trying to 
say. 

^^I have her permission to tell you, Polly 
dear, because she wishes to have your 
advice, as you have more imagination 
about getting out of difficulties than the 
rest of us; but you have to promise first 
never to mention it to anybody, not to a 
single other member of the Camp Fire 
Club or to Rose or even Donna. 

Polly laughed, putting her arm lightly 
across Betty Ashton’s shoulder. 

^‘What are you talking about, child?” 
she demanded. ''I don’t particularly like 


216 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


that suggestion of my talent for getting 
out of scrapes; but if the scrape has any- 
thing to do with Betty Ashton, then all my 
talent is at her disposal, of course/’ 

“But it has nothing to do with me, at 
least not in the way you mean,” the other 
girl rephed, too much in earnest to be 
amused even for the moment. “It has to 
do with a girl whom you have never liked 
very much and she has never liked you. 
But she has been my friend and I do care 
for her. And moreover she is a member of 
our Sunrise Hill Camp Fire Club and we 
promised to live up to Sylvia’s motion.” 

“Edith Norton?” Polly queried. “She 
must be in trouble if she is willing to 
confide in me.” 

But Betty’s expression suddenly silenced 
her. Always Betty Ashton had been the 
most popular among her special group of 
Camp Fire girls. At first chiefly for her 
beauty, her wealth, the prominent position 
of her family and for her own generosity 
and charm. More recently, however, since 
the girl had met her own disasters so 
courageously, a new element had come into 
her influence and the affection she inspired. 


AN UNSPOKEN POSSIBILITY 217 


It was a quality that Polly with aU her 
cleverness would never create, one of stead- 
fastness under fire. Perhaps it was one 
of the last characteristics that one might 
have looked for in the early days of the 
Princess. And yet it will always be found 
in truly aristocratic natures. When life 
is flowing smoothly, when the days go by 
with no special demands made upon them, 
these persons may have many little weak- 
nesses. Yet when the special occasion 
arises theirs is the faithfulness and forti- 
tude. So while Betty had neither the 
sound judgment of Sylvia Wharton nor the 
brilliant fancy of PoUy, it was to her that 
the other girls usually made their first 
appeal in any dilemma or distress. 

At this moment if they had not been 
together on the street Polly would have 
liked to embrace her. The cold air had 
brought Betty ^s color back; she still wore 
the little lace cap under her old fur hat, 
but the edging made a lovely frame for 
her face, and her hair was already growing 
so that the curls showed underneath, like 
a baby^s. 

^^Yes, it is Edith,'' Betty answered 


218 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


seriously. ^^And she is in a difficulty that 
you could never have imagined of one 
of our Camp Fire girls. You know she has 
been going a good deal with that man whom 
none of us like until she thinks she is 
really in love with him. And it seems that 
Edith believes that he does not care a 
great deal about her. So she, poor thing, 
has been trying her best to make him care. 
She has bought herself a lot of clothes that 
she cannot afford, for you know she gets 
such a small salary at the shop where she 
works.’’ 

^Hs that all?” Polly demanded. ^Ht is 
awfully foolish of her, of course, to be so 
extravagant, but it isn’t such a dreadful 
crime. And as I suppose she has charged 
what she got, she can just save up and pay 
back her bills by degrees.” 

Betty shook her head. Don’t be a 
goose, dear. Edith can’t charge things 
in Woodford. She hasn’t any credit in 
the shops like your mother and mine have. 
She is only a poor girl working for her own 
support, with her family not living here and 
with no position when they were. No, you 
see she borrowed the money from the 


AN UNSPOKEN POSSIBILITY 219 


woman she was working for without telling 
her. She meant to pay it back of course, 
only, only 

^^You mean she stole it from her?^^ 
PoUy exclaimed in a hushed tone. This 
was a good deal worse than anything which 
she had anticipated. She had always 
considered Edith Norton foolish and vain; 
but then surely the Camp Fire had helped 
her, had given her the ideals and the 
training that she had never learned at 
home. Betty was crying so bitterly and 
so openly that Polly felt she must comfort 
her friend first before criticising or attempt- 
ing to suggest a solution to the other girFs 
problem. 

^^But, dear, if you wish Edith’s trouble 
kept a secret, you must not weep over her, 
just as you get home,” she protested. 

Don’t you know that everybody in the 
house will be demanding to know what 
the matter is at once, and the Professor 
can hardly be kept from weeping with you? 
I can’t think of anything to suggest to 
Edith except that she confess what she has 
done and ask Madame to let her return 
the money by working for it.” 


220 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


told her that, but she did not believe 
that she would be forgiven, Betty ex- 
plained. ^^Oh, if I only had just a little 
of the money I used to throw away! I 
don’t mind being poor so much myself, 
Polly; it is when I so want to do for other 
people.” 

^'You don’t have to tell me that. Prin- 
cess,” her friend replied quietly. ^‘But, 
dear, this time I am glad you have not the 
money. Because you know it would not 
be right for you just to give Edith the 
money and have her give it back without 
any one’s knowing. At least, I don’t quite 
think so. And yet I am awfuUy sorry that 
Edith and I should both in our different 
ways have broken our Camp Fire law. 
And I will do anything I can think of to 
help her. Do you know, dear, how long 
she has been in this difficulty? 

^^Oh; I think about two weeks,” Betty 
answered. ^^But she only confided in me 
yesterday. It seems that she has tried 
several ways of getting the money and has 
attempted to borrow it. She thought maybe 
I could lend it to her, and I may be able 
to later on, only I would have to tell 


AN UNSPOKEN POSSIBILITY 221 


mother some reason why I needed twenty- 
five dollars all of a sudden from our small 
supply/' 

“No, you must not. Maybe I may be 
able to help. Or we may persuade Edith 
to confess. I believe she will when she 
thinks more about our old Camp Fire teach- 
ings. Anyhow, as we are at home now, 
let us wait and talk it all over again tonight 
after we get to bed. It is then, of course, 
that I do my most brilliant thinking." 

So with this in mind, obliterating aU 
other thoughts at their hour of retiring, 
for the first evening since their fright ten 
days before, neither Polly nor Betty re- 
membered the locking of their outside door 
upon getting into bed. 

And this time it was Polly O'Neill who 
was aroused first a short while after mid- 
night by the slow turning of their door- 
knob and then the sense of an almost 
noiseless figure entering their bedroom. 

Immediately she awoke Betty by sud- 
denly calling her name aloud, and at the 
same instant sprang out of bed, again 
touching the electric button and flooding 
the room with revealing light. 


CHAPTER XX 


The Beginning of Light 

HY, why!^’ exclaimed Polly in 
surprise and consternation, 
^ ^ standing perfectly still with her 
hand upraised toward the light, too puzzled 
to let it drop down at her side. 

But with a httle, warning cry Betty had 
called to her and almost at the same 
moment was across the room, with her 
arms about a tall, slight figure. 

Mother, mother,^’ she whispered quiet- 
ly, ^^wake up. You have gotten up out 
of your bed and wandered into Polly’s and 
my room. And you have frightened us 
nearly to death! Dear me, you have not 
walked in your sleep for years, have you?” 

At Betty’s first words following the 
stream of light, Mrs. Ashton had opened 
her eyes with returning consciousness until 
now she appeared almost entirely wide 
awake. And an expression both of fear 
and annoyance crossed her face. 

( 222 ) 


THE BEGINNING OF LIGHT 223 


^^You poor children, so I am your ghost 
and your burglar,’^ she declared, ^^and I 
believed it was you who were having night- 
mares! I am awfully sorry. Betty knows 
I used to have this unfortunate habit of 
strolling about the house in my sleep long 
ago. But I am quite sure that I have not 
done it for several years now. The truth 
is I have not yet gotten over the nervous 
shock of Betty^s being brought home to me 
and my not knowing how seriously she was 
injured for such a time; it seemed an 
eternity.’^ 

Betty had thrown a shawl over her 
mother’s shoulders, as she was clad only in 
her night-dress, and she and Polly slipped 
into their dressing gowns. 

Wasn’t it odd, though, mother, your 
coming in here both times? I wonder 
if you had me on your mind and wanted to 
see how I was. But you did not seem to. 
You kept groping your way toward that 
old closet as though you wished to rummage 
about in it. But do come and let me take 
you back to bed now, and I will stay with 
you so you will behave youself and give 
Polly a chance to rest.” 


224 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


For quite five minutes after the two had 
gone, Polly lay awake. There were really 
so many things to consider, because, of 
course, when one has too active an imagina- 
tion it is apt to lead one into trouble. 
First, she must apologize to Anthony 
Graham for her totally unfounded suspicion 
of him. And then, thank Heaven, she had 
not breathed the suggestion aloud! Yet 
just for a moment she had wondered if 
Edith Norton could have — ^but it was not 
true and of course never could have 
been. 

Then a third idea. What could be hidden 
away in that old closet of so great value 
or interest that Mrs. Ashton turned toward 
it in her sleeping hours, when her sub- 
conscious mind must be directing her 
footsteps? No wonder that Betty was 
puzzled and annoyed over the secrets of 
the old room. Naturally as a visitor in the 
Ashton home it would be exceedingly bad 
manners, if nothing worse, for her to try 
to find out anything that her hostess 
wished to keep concealed. Yet just as 
Polly lost her train of thought she remem- 
bered wishing that Betty might make the 


THE BEGINNING OF LIGHT 225 


discovery for herself, since most certainly 
then she would confide in her. 

The next day being Friday, Polly went 
to her own home to spend the week-end. 
And quite by accident she and MoUie 
came in together for a few moments on 
Sunday afternoon and went directly to 
Betty’s room without letting her know of 
their approach. 

As they knocked and had no answer, 
Polly, feehng entirely at home, pushed the 
door open, 

Betty, child, don’t you want to see us?” 
she demanded. I know I promised to give 
you a rest until Monday, but MoUie and I 
could not bear to spend a whole Sunday 
afternoon without you.” 

And at this, Betty Ashton appeared from 
the darkness of the big closet at the farthest 
end of her bedroom. She wore a lavender 
cashmere frock with a broad velvet belt 
and a lace cap with lavender ribbons. 
But the cap was much awry, so that her 
hair was tumbled carelessly over her fore- 
head, even showing the slight scar under- 
neath, which usuaUy she was so careful to 
hide, and her cheeks were a good deal 


15 


226 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


flushed. There was no doubt that she 
was greatly interested or excited over some- 
thing. 

“MoUie and Polly, I am glad,’^ she 
avowed. was just needing some one to 
talk to and to ask questions of most dread- 
fully. Mother has gone out driving this 
afternoon, and as I was alone it occurred 
to me it might be fun to rummage about in 
this old closet and see whether it really 
concealed any treasures. After our belief 
that a burglar was trying to enter it, I 
thought it might be just as well for me to 
find out what it contained.’’ 

^^Does your mother know?” PoUy in- 
quired, and could hardly have explained 
to herself just why she asked the question. 

^^No. I did not think of investigating 
it before she left. But of course she won’t 
care. Why should she? The boxes have 
nothing in them but old books and rubbish. 
But this trunk — I can’t quite understand 
about some of the things I have found in it. 
Maybe you can help me guess.” 

And before either of the other girls knew 
what she intended doing, Betty was drag- 
ging the shaky trunk out of the closet into 


THE BEGINNING OF LIGHT 227 


the greater brightness of the room, MoUie 
rushing to her assistance as soon as possible. 
Yet for some reason unknown to herself, 
Polly hesitated. She did not even move 
forward when Betty and MoUie dropped 
down on their knees before it, although 
she did observe that the trunk was locked, 
but that the hinges at the back had rusted 
and faUen off, so that Betty had gotten 
into it in that way. 

Evidently the things at the top had 
already been taken out inside the closet, 
for Betty was now reaching down toward 
the bottom and bringing out what looked 
like a trousseau of baby clothes — her 
own or Dick’s, they could not yet teU 
which. 

The little dresses were yeUow and fragile 
with age; the long blue coat had faded; 
most of the Uttle shoes and flannels had 
been worn. 

“I wish you would not look through those 
things until your mother gets back, Betty,” 
PoUy said rather irritably. 

But both her sister and friend glanced up 
at her in surprise. 

^^What is the possible harm? Mother 


228 liiE OUTSIDE WORLD 


couldn’t mind. There is certainly no 
reason why I should not look at my own 
clothes or at Dick’s. It’s queer I never 
happen to have seen them before.” 

^^Did your mother never have any other 
children, Betty?” MoUie inquired, and 
the other girl shook her head. 

Polly had come over now and was stand- 
ing near them by the edge of the trunk and 
looking down inside it. 

Of course what Betty was doing must 
seem to her perfectly right or else she would 
never have thought of doing it; yet Polly 
could not help feeling a certain distaste 
for the whole proceeding. Old possessions 
were always kind of uncanny and uncom- 
fortable to her temperament; they held 
too poignant a suggestion of death, of the 
passing of time and of almost forgotten 
memories. 

Betty and Mollie had a differently roman- 
tic point of view. And to both of them, 
being essentially feminine, the delicate, 
exquisite baby apparel made a strongly 
sentimental appeal. 

Suddenly, with a little cry of surprise 
and amusement, Betty picked up a small 


THE BEGINNING OF LIGHT 229 


frock which must have been made for a 
child of about a year old, that was curiously 
different from the others. While they had 
been of sheer lawns and expensive laces, 
this was a perfectly straight-up-and-down 
garment of coarse check gingham of the 
cheapest kind and attached to it were a 
pair of rough httle shoes. 

wonder how in the world these ever got 
in here or why mother has preserved 
them so carefully. She has a perfect horror 
of cheap things,’’ Betty began in a half- 
puzzled and half-humorous fashion, holding 
the poor httle baby dress up to the light 
and giving it a shake. 

Stooping, Mollie picked up something 
that must have faUen from one of the shoes. 
It was an old tintype picture of a com- 
paratively young man with a baby in his 
arms and a little girl pressing close up 
against his knee. 

MoUie was looking at it with a slightly 
bewildered expression when Polly came 
up and glanced over her shoulder. And 
instantly PoUy’s face grew white; however, 
it was a trick of hers when anything sur- 
prised or annoyed her. And at the moment 


230 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


she had a strong impulse to take the picture 
from MoUie’s hands and tear it into a 
hundred pieces before Betty Ashton should 
have a chance to see it. 

Notwithstanding, Betty had already 
joined them and was apparently as much 
perplexed as Mollie. She took the photo- 
graph nearer to the window. 

declare this looks like Esther when she 
was a little girl and Professor Crippen. 
I believe he did tell me there was another 
child that somebody had adopted and who 
did not know he was her father. I suppose 
Esther must have asked mother to take 
care of these things for her. It is queer 
that she never thought of speaking of them 
to me. I must write her I have seen them, 
for I should not wish her to feel I had been 
prying,’^ Betty finished, going back to the 
trunk and putting the little things carefully 
away. 

The weight that had gathered pressingly 
in the neighborhood of Polly^s heart in the 
past thirty seconds now lifted. 

Yes, and do close up that tiresome trunk 
at once Betty Ashton, or I am going home,^^ 
Polly scolded. ‘Ht bores me dreadfully 


THE BEGINNING OF LIGHT 231 


to have you and MoUie poking in there 
when we might be talking/’ 

But Betty paid no heed to her, for she 
had found another photograph of a different 
character. It was a picture of another 
baby, a beautiful miniature so delicately 
tinted that the colors were almost like life. 
And the child’s face was very like Mrs. 
Ashton’s, the same flaxen hair and light 
blue eyes. And it bore no possible resem- 
blance either to Richard Ashton or to 
Betty. However, there was no reason to 
consider its being either one of them, for 
it was plainly marked on the back, Phyllis 
Ashton,” and then had the date of the birth. 

Betty offered no comment and expressed 
no wonder, although she let both her 
friends look at the picture, still holding it in 
her own hands. 

^^But I thought you said your mother 
had only two children, you and Dick,” 
MoUie declared, and PoUy would have liked 
to shake her. 

Yes, I did think so until now,” the third 
girl replied. And placing her picture back 
in the trunk, she closed the lid, stiU leaving 
the trunk in the center of the room, in spite 


232 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


of the fact that both her friends insisted 
on helping her with it into the closet. 

Then Betty began making tea on her 
alcohol lamp and talking of other things; 
only Polly could see that her mind was not 
in the least upon what she was saying, but 
that she was thinking of something else 
every possible second. 

Whether to go or to stay with her friend 
was PoUy^s present indecision. However, 
she and Molly remained until Mrs. Ashton 
had returned from her drive and Betty 
went into her mother^s room to assist in 
taking off her wraps. 


CHAPTER XXI 


Betty Finds Out 

I T was Monday afternoon and the March 
weather held an alluring suggestion 
of spring. 

Running along the street with her red 
coat scarcely fastened and her hat at a 
totally wrong angle upon her head, Polly 
O^Neill showed no concern for exterior con- 
ditions. 

Finding the Ashton front door unlocked 
she entered without stopping to ring the 
bell, and made straight, not for Betty^s, but 
for Mrs. Ashton^s bedroom. She found 
her lying upon the bed, though at her 
visitor’s entrance she sat up, appearing 
quite ill. 

Mrs. Ashton, why didn’t Betty 
come to school today? Where is she? 
Has anything happened? I was dreadfully 
worried when I found she was not at any 
of her classes, and then when I asked Miss 
McMurtry whether anything was the mat- 

( 233 ) 


234 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


ter, she was so queer and mysterious. And 
when I said I was going to leave school and 
come here at once, she said that I had 
better not, that Betty had specially asked 
to be alone and that even you had not seen 
her this morning. Donna behaved just as 
though she knew something about my 
beloved Betty that I don’t. And it is not 
fair. I am sure Betty would wish me to 
know. Where is she?” 

^^Sit down, Polly,” Mrs. Ashton re- 
turned, getting up from the bed and taking 
a seat opposite. “I don’t know where 
Betty is just now and I am very uneasy 
and very unhappy about her. The poor 
child has had so many things happen in 
the past year, after being spoiled in every 
possible way up till then. She was in her 
own room most of the morning, but about 
two hours ago sent word to me that she 
was going out and that I was not to be 
alarmed if she did not return for some little 
time. I might as well tell you our secret, 
dear. I suppose there is no way now to 
keep people from knowing it eventually and 
perhaps we have been unkind and unwise 
in concealing it from Betty so long. I 


BETTY FINDS OUT 


235 


wonder if you have ever dreamed that 
Betty is Esther Crippen^s sister?^' 

Polly gasped. No, she had not dreamed 
it. If the suspicion had ever entered her 
mind, she had put it from her as a seK- 
evident absurdity. Her beautiful, exquisite 
Princess and Esther and Herr Crippen! 
It was an impossible association of ideas 
and of people. 

^^But it can^t be true, Mrs. Ashton,’’ she 
argued almost angrily, feeling that the 
room was whirling about and that she was 
almost ill from the surprise and shock. 
And if this was her sensation, what could 
Betty’s have been! Think how lovely 
Betty is and how utterly unlike either of 
them. Besides, why have we never known 
and how did you happen to do it?” Polly 
dropped her face in her two hands. She 
so very seldom cried that the effort always 
hurt her. 

^Ht is a tragic story, dear, and one we 
have never liked to talk about for all our 
sakes,” Mrs. Ashton replied, showing more 
self-control than Polly had ever seen her 
display before. 

^^Very many years ago I had a baby 


236 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


named Phyllis. Betty tells me that you 
too saw her picture in the old trunk. 
Well, Dick was a little boy of about seven, 
and by some dreadful accident found a 
loaded pistol in his father's desk and came 
running into the big back room with it, 
which in those days was the baby's nurs- 
ery. You can imagine what happened 
without my telling you. Dick was a child, 
and yet the horror of it has altered his 
entire nature and life. He has always been 
serious and over-conscientious, always anx- 
ious to devote his life to the service of 
other people as a reparation for a tragedy 
which was never in the least his fault. It 
was therefore as much for Dick's sake as 
for mine that Mr. Ashton persuaded us to 
adopt a baby in Phyllis' place. So we 
drove out to the asylum together one day, 
with our minds not made up and there — 
there we found our adored Betty. Herr 
Crippen had just left his two children to 
be cared for, and Betty was only a baby. 
But she was the most exquisite little thing 
you can imagine, the same lovely auburn 
hair and big serious gray eyes. Dick 
adored her from the moment that she put 


BETTY FINDS OUT 


237 


her arms about his neck and would not let 
go when the time came for us to return 
home. We have always loved her since, 
Polly, as well as if she had been our own 
baby — ^better I almost think. You know 
what she is, so there is little use for me to 
say it — ^Our Princess ^ dear. I have always 
loved your name and the other girls^ for 
her.’^ 

'^But Herr Crippen and Esther — they are 
so plain, and except for their gifts, why, 
compared to Betty they seem so — so 
ordinary,^’ Polly protested. 

^^But you must remember that there was 
a mother, too, and that Herr Crippen has 
said she was an American and very lovely. 
I believe her family would have nothing 
more to do with her because she married a 
German musician. And then, you see, 
child, Betty has had many advantages that 
Esther has not had. It was because Dick 
and I began slowly to realize that perhaps 
we had been cruel to Esther in depriving 
her of her little sister that we finally asked 
her to come here and live as a kind of com- 
panion to Betty. It was a long-delayed 
kindness and yet Esther has very nobly 


238 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


repaid us; for it seems that when Herr 
Crippen returned and claimed Esther as 
his daughter, Esther learned then of Betty^s 
relation to them and it was she who insisted 
that her father make no sign, realizing how 
entirely Betty’s devotion was given to 
Dick and Mr. Ashton and to me, even to 
this old home, which has been her pride for 
so long.” 

'^Poor, poor little Princess! It will almost 
break her heart,” Polly murmured. 

But although Mrs. Ashton wiped a few 
tears from her eyes, she shook her 
head. 

^'Some day you wiU find out that hearts 
are harder to break than you now believe. 
I would almost have given my life to have 
spared Betty this knowledge, and yet some 
day she must realize that we love her as v o 
have always done and that love is the only 
thing that greatly counts, after all. There 
is no reason why Betty should feel any 
shame in her relation to Herr Crippen; he 
has been unfortunate, but there is nothing 
else against him. And Esther is a remark- 
able girl.” 

^'Yes, I know. But what made Betty 


BETTY FINDS OUT 


239 


suspect? How did she find all this out?^^ 
Polly queried. 

Betty told me of her discoveries in the 
old trunk and asked me a number of ques- 
tions. I was confused; I am not in the 
least sure how I answered them. Anyhow, 
she became suspicious and went to Herr 
Crippen and then to Miss McMurtry, who, 
it seems, was in Esther’s and her father’s 
confidence. They gave the child no satis- 
faction, but only made her the more 
uneasy and distressed, until finally Betty 
remembered the sealed envelope which Mr. 
Ashton had always made her keep in her 
box of valuable papers. Possibly she has 
told you that the envelope was only to be 
opened when she should come to some 
crisis in her life and need advice or informa- 
tion. Betty opened the envelope and it 
contained the papers proving her legal 
adoption by us and her right in the equal 
division of whatever property either Mr. 
Ashton or I might have. Now, Polly, that 
is all,” Mrs. Ashton concluded. ^^But I feel 
that if Betty does not soon come to me and 
put her arms about me and call me 
'mother’ as she always has, that I shan’t 


240 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


be able to bear things either. Won^t you 
find her and bring her here to me?’’ 

And PoUy, glad to be away to battle 
with her own emotions, kissed her older 
friend and vanished. But Betty was not 
in her room, and as there seemed to be no 
clue to work upon, it was diflScult to 
decide just where she should begin the 
search. 


CHAPTER XXII 


Sunrise Cabin 

B etty was not with any one of their 
acquaintances, for Polly telephoned 
everybody they knew before leaving 
the Ashton house. 

Then a possibihty suddenly dawning upon 
her, she hurried forth, feeling that anything 
was better than remaining longer indoors. 

AH of the Sunrise Hill Camp Fire girls 
were in the habit of taking frequent walks 
to their forsaken log cabin. And as Betty 
wished to be alone and especially needed 
the strength and consolation that its happy 
memories could give her, probably she had 
gone out there. Under most circumstances 
Polly would have respected her friend^s 
desire for solitude, but Betty must already 
have been at the cabin for some time by 
herself and the dusk would soon come 
down upon her and she would be hurt and 
lonely, with aU her familiar world fallen 
about her feet. 


16 


( 241 ) 


242 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


No one else must leam of her pilgrimage, 
since Betty might forgive her presence and 
yet could not rally to meet the astonishment 
and sympathy of any other of her friends. 
So Polly told several impatient fibs to the 
persons who insisted upon learning where 
she intended going, before she was able 
to get outside of Woodford and into the 
blessed solitude of the country lanes. 

The air was colder by this time and light 
flurries of snow kept blinding her eyes as 
she hurried along. However, she had not 
so forgotten her training in woodcraft as 
not to recognize signs of Betty’s having 
preceded her along almost the same route; 
for here and there, where the earth had 
thawed in the midday warmth, there were 
impressions of the Princess’ shoes. And she 
even picked up a small crushed handker- 
chief which had been dropped by the way. 

Therefore in spite of her depression over 
Mrs. Ashton’s information, Polly was begin- 
ning to get a kind of hold upon herself. 
For it was her place, if she possibly could 
manage it, to persuade Betty that, after 
all, life was not so utterly changed by 
yesterday’s discovery. If Mrs. Ashton 


SUNRISE CABIN 


243 


and Dick were not her own mother and 
brother, they themselves knew no difference. 
And there would be no change in her 
friends’ affections. Then, she had gained 
Esther as a sister, Esther who was so big 
in her nature, so unseli&sh and fine. No 
wonder she had always seemed to care for 
Betty with a devotion no one of them 
could explain. And how hard it must have 
been loving her as she did to have made no 
claim upon her. 

Hello, Miss Polly,” an unexpected voice 
cried out, and to Polly’s utter vexation she 
beheld Billy Webster coming toward her 
from the path that led through his father’s 
woods. 

She bowed coldly, hoping that her cold- 
ness might be her salvation, since she did 
not wish to waste time in conversation with 
him, nor to explain why she was in such a 
hurry to go on with her walk. But Billy 
was apparently not influenced by Polly’s 
present attitude, being too accustomed to 
her moods. 

^^May I walk along with you?” he 
inquired politely enough. was just 

out for exercise, with no special place in 


244 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


mind where I wished to go, and I should 
ever so much rather have you as a com- 
panion/’ 

It was on the tip of Polly’s tongue to 
exclaim, ^^But I would so much rather not 
have you!” However, she suddenly re- 
called having promised MoUie to be as 
polite to Billy as she could and not to bear 
malice any longer. So she merely shook 
her head. “I am sorry, but I am in a great 
hurry,” she explained. “For you see I 
came out with a very special place in mind 
to which I wish to go immediately.” 

Billy laughed, rather a big, splendid, 
open-hearted laugh. Polly was amusing, 
in no matter what temper she might happen 
to be. 

“But I won’t interfere with your destina- 
tion and I certainly can manage to walk as 
fast as you can;” he announced calmly, 
keeping close to the girl’s side, although 
her rapid walking had developed almost into 
a run, and she was nearly out of breath. 

Well, if she could not outwalk him and 
could not manage to get rid of him in any 
other way, PoUy decided that she would 
at least keep perfectly silent until he had 




I 



; 



SXJNRISE CABIN 


247 


the sense to go away of his own accord. 
It was still some distance before she could 
reach the cabin. 

However, as Billy was doing a great deal 
of talking, he appeared not to be aware of 
her unusual silence. 

^^Look here. Miss Polly, I have been 
thinking of something for a long time — 
several months, in fact,^^ he declared. 
^^And I have about come to the conclusion 
that maybe I was pretty domineering in the 
way in which I behaved to you in New 
York. Of course I stiU consider that 
acting business a dreadful thing for you 
to have done which might have brought 
consequences that you could not imagine. 
But I ought to have tried to persuade you 
to stop or to write your mother, and not 
to have bullied you. I want you to believe, 
though, that it was because I like you so 
much that I went all to pieces over the idea 
of anything happening to you — ^your getting 
ill or somebody being rude to you. Great 
Scott! but I am glad that you have given 
up that foolish idea of going upon the stage 
and have settled down quietly in Wood- 
ford 


248 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Polly turned a pair of astonished blue 
eyes upon her companion, who happened 
at the moment to be gazing up toward the 
sky where the snow clouds were growing 
heavier. 

^^You are very kind to be interested in 
my welfare, I am sure,^^ she replied, trying 
her best not to let sarcastic tones creep into 
her voice. “And of course I realized that 
your friendship for Mollie and mother 
made you feel that you had the right to 
express your opinion very frankly to me. 
But you are mistaken if you believe that I 
have given up my foolish notion of going 
upon the stage. Of course I appreciate 
now that I was wrong in betraying mother^s 
trust and in trying that experiment in 
acting without her consent. So I have 
accepted my punishment and made my 
bargain. But just the same, when I am 
twenty-one, I mean to try again with all 
my strength and power and to keep on 
trying until I ultimately succeed.” 

Billy Webster closed his lips with a look 
of peculiar obstinacy. 

“ Three years is a long time,” he answered, 
“and you might as well know that though 


SUNRISE CABIN 


249 


I am fond of MoUie and always will be, 
it is you I really care about. Oh yes, 
I realize that there are hours when I almost 
hate you, but that is because you dislike 
me and because I can^t get you to do what 
I wish. Still, you might as well understand 
that I intend doing everything in my power 
for the next three years to make you stay 
in Woodford when the time is up and to 
make you stay because you love me.” 

And then before Polly was able to get 
her breath or to stamp her foot or in any 
possible way to relieve her feelings, the 
young man had marched away through an 
opening at one side of the path, without 
even stopping once to glance back at her. 

It was out of the question then for Polly 
to decide whether she was the more angry, 
astonished or amused. Of course it was 
absurd for Billy Webster to conceive of 
having any emotion for her except one of 
disapproval. He was simply so obstinate 
and so sure of himself that he wanted to 
make her like him, because he knew that 
she almost hated him. And if it had not 
been for Mollie, she would have suffered no 
almost” in her dislike. 


250 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


Really the confusion and protest that 
the young man’s words had awakened in 
her mind, coming on top of the disclosure 
about Betty, made Polly feel as if she had 
suddenly taken leave of her senses. And 
as it is a rather good scheme when one is 
unable to think clearly, to give up thinking 
at all for the time being, the girl started 
running in the direction of the cabin, so 
fast that she had opportunity for no other 
impulse or Impression except forcing herself 
to keep up the desired speed. 

By a camp fire, which Betty had built for 
herself, PoUy discovered her friend sitting 
on a stool with her elbow in her lap and her 
head resting on her hand. She did not 
seem astonished or annoyed by her friend’s 
entrance. When Polly came forward and 
kissed her she merely said, am glad you 
know, Polly. I hope you did not have a 
very cold walk. It was not snowing wh^ 
I came out.” Then she began piling more 
logs on her fire. 

Later the two girls had an intimate 
talk. 

'^It is odd, Polly, but I don’t feel as 
wretched as I should have expected I 


SUNRISE CABIN 


251 


would/’ Betty explained, speaking as much 
to herself as to her companion. ^'I think 
perhaps it is intended for me to have my 
illusions shattered earlier in life than other 
people have them — ^I think possibly be- 
cause I have been vainer and more foolish. 
At first I presume I used to have a kind of 
unconscious satisfaction in our having more 
money than other people and in being able 
to do almost anything for my friends that 
I wished. Then when the money went 
away I thought, weU, perhaps money does 
not make so much difference if one has an 
old family and a name of which one may be 
proud. But in these last few hours, 
sitting here by myself I have begun to 
appreciate more fully what our Camp Fire 
organization is trying so hard to teach us. 
It is that all we girls are alike in the essential 
things, only that some of us have been given 
better opportunities and more friends. 
There is only one thing that really counts, 
I suppose, and that is not so much what 
other people do for us, as what we are able 
to do for ourselves, what kind of women 
we are able to grow into. So you see that 
though I believe I was struggling to save 


252 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


the old Ashton house because all my 
distinguished ancestors had been living 
there for generation after generation and I 
wanted to have babies of my own to inherit 
it some day, now I am even happier 
because perhaps I have saved it for Dick 
and mother by my plan and maybe it 
will repay them a little for all they have 
done for me/’ 

don’t think the debt is on your side, 
dear,” PoUy returned loyally. 

But already Betty had risen from her 
stool and was looking around for her cloak 
and cap. 

'^Let us hurry home now; we shall have 
a glorious walk!” she exclaimed. have 
been away from mother long enough and 
I do want to write to Esther. She has got 
to come to see me for a few days, or else 
I am going to her. Don’t worry; I shall 
not forget the seven points of our Camp 
Fire star.” 


CHAPTER XXIII 


Farewells 

O NE morning in May two months 
later two girls were in the much- 
discussed back bedroom overlooking 
the Ashton garden. It was very much the 
same kind of cheerless day outdoors that 
it had been when they had first met each 
other after a lapse of many years. And 
then of course neither one knew of the 
closeness of the tie between them. How- 
ever, at the present moment they were 
busily engaged in packing two steamer 
trunks that were standing open before them. 

never shall get all this stuff in if you 
don’t come and help me, Esther,” Betty 
protested in the spoiled fashion of an earlier 
time. And since Esther never would cease 
to believe that the whole world should be 
grateful to Betty for the honor of her 
presence in it, it is doubtful whether her 
methods of spoiling '^The Princess” ever 
would be entirely given up. 

( 253 ) 


254 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


^^Sit down, dear, or else run and see 
Polly and MoUie and Mrs. Wharton for 
a few moments. You are tired and I can 
finish putting the things in for you without 
any trouble. Poor PoUy is kind of pathetic 
these days, I think; she is so desperate 
over our going away and leaving her 
behind, and then, though she tries her best 
not to show it, she is jealous of oim being so 
much together. I am sorry for her, because 
it is pretty much the same way that I used 
to feel toward her. And of course I have 
tried to show her that no one can take her 
place with you; but she is so low-spirited 
and so unlike herself that there is no 
convincing her of anything agreeable.^’ 

Betty had sunk into a low chair and was 
rocking thoughtfully back and forward 
knitting her brows. 

“Mother and I both consider that Mrs. 
Wharton is making a mistake in not 
allowing PoUy to leave Woodford for three 
years; for she wil^ probably grow so tired 
of it by that time that she will never 
want to come home again — that is, if she 
goes on the stage. When it was decided 
that we were to go abroad mother suggested 


FAREWELLS 


255 


to Mrs. Wharton that she let Polly come 
over and join us later. She thought it 
would be very much more apt to distract 
her attention than if she stayed on here 
with nothing else to dream about.’’ 

^'And what did Mrs. Wharton answer?” 
Esther queried, turning from her own trunk 
and beginning to straighten out the con- 
fusion in her sister’s. 

'^Oh, she wouldn’t hear of it,” Betty 
returned. “So sometimes I feel pretty 
selfish at being so happy over our sailing. 
But just think, we are going straight to 
Germany and dear old Dick! It seems a 
hundred years since he went away. How 
strangely things have turned out! Here 
are Miss McMurtry and my new father 
getting married, when I have been predict- 
ing that they would, with no one believing 
me, ever since that evening at the cabin. 
So they wiU be able to look after the house 
and let the people stay on in it just as if 
mother and I were here, and send us a 
check for the rent each month so that we 
will have enough to live upon. But better 
than anything, Esther dear, is the wonderful 
chance you will have for your music. You 


256 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


are going to study under one of the greatest 
teachers in the world and not because of 
what your own family believe about your 
talent, but because of what your teacher 
in New York wrote the Professor/^ It 
was not often that Betty was able to speak 
of Herr Crippen as father; Mr. Ashton 
had been her father too long, and she had 
cared for him too much to be willing to give 
the title to any one else. So “the Pro- 
fessor’’ and “Donna” were the names 
she ordinarily bestowed upon her new 
parents. 

“You must not expect too much of my 
singing, Betty,” Esther replied in her 
same shy, nervous fashion. “And, for 
goodness sake! don’t write your brother 
Dick that my voice has improved, or he 
will be disappointed.” 

Betty laughed teasingly. “Oh, I have 
told him already that you were greater 
than Melba and Farrar rolled into one. 
But never mind, Esther, he will soon find 
out the real truth for himself. Isn’t it 
too splendid how happy mother is over 
our plans! She has not been so like her- 
seK since father’s death. And somehow 


FAREWELLS 


257 


instead of acting as if she had given me up 
to the Professor as a daughter, she behaves 
far more as if he had just presented 
her with you as well. I beheve she 
feels it helps to make up to you, 
Esther, for the years of loneliness — ^her 
being able now to chaperon you, when 
you so much need to have your big 
chance.’^ 

Esther was kneeling on the floor; but 
she turned her hght blue eyes appealingly 
upon her sister and her lips quivered, 
revealing her one beautiful feature in the 
mobility of the hnes of her mouth and in 
the whiteness of her teeth. 

^^You must not expect too much of me, 
little sister, will you?^’ she pleaded. ^^You 
know I have only consented to father^s 
making this big sacrifice for me so that we 
may all be abroad together, and you and 
Mrs. Ashton have the rest and change you 
so much need. And then, of course, I may 
be able to learn to sing well enough some 
day to earn the money to buy you a Paris 
frock and hat,'’ she ended with an attempt 
at hghtness. 

However, Betty was not deceived, and 


17 


258 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


getting up from her rocking chair, she 
deliberately pushed Esther aside. 

^^For goodness sake! let me finish pack- 
ing my own trunk, Esther Crippen,^’ she 
commanded. “Here I have been carefully 
trying to cultivate an angelic character ever 
since I became a Camp Fire girl, and in a 
few weeks of your spoiling you do away 
with the labor of years.’’ 

Betty therefore was not looking up when 
some one tiptoed quietly into the room, 
and, before she became conscious of her 
presence, dropped a bunch of May blossoms 
under her eyes. 

“There are two automobiles waiting 
before your door at the present moment, 
children,” Polly announced. “And John 
Everett suggested that I tell you to get 
into your coats and hats at once. He 
came home for the day; I’ve an idea he 
may have desired to say farewell to ^My 
Lady Betty,’ but I was given no such 
information. What I was told to say was 
that he and Meg were giving an automo- 
bile ride in your honor and that we were to 
end up by having our lunch at the cabin. 
They have asked all the Camp Fire Club 


FAREWELLS 


259 


and some of John^s friends, Billy Webster/^ 
and Polly^s face expressed her chagrin. 
“John has even invited Anthony Graham, 
and the poor fellow has fixed himself up 
until he is positively shining with cleanli- 
ness, though I am afraid he will be cold in 
that shabby overcoat of his.^^ 

While Polly was chattering, she was 
assisting Betty to slip into her new violet 
dress which had been made for the steamer 
crossing and happily was lying ready and 
spread out upon the bed. And the next 
instant she had pinned Esther^s new blue 
crtpe de chine blouse down in the back, 
hurried them both into their heavy coats 
and hats, and was ushering them out to 
their friends, who were impatiently await- 
ing their coming. 

No one of the little party forgot their 
May day together in the woods and at the 
Sunrise Hill cabin for a long time to come. 
And among the many kind things that 
were said to her in farewell, it was curious 
that the speech made by Anthony Graham 
should make the deepest impression upon 
Betty Ashton’s mind. 

He had asked her come away from her 


260 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


other friends for a few moments, and they 
had walked to the edge of the group of 
pines not far from the foot of Sunrise Hill. 
It was almost sunset, for no one had 
thought of going home after the late 
luncheon was over. 

Betty glanced about her rather wist- 
fully. This particular bit of country was 
dearer to her than any place in the world 
except her old home and yet she was leav- 
ing it for an unknown land, to be away 
she could not tell how long. 

^^Miss Ashton,’’ Anthony began, ^Hhere 
will probably be a good many changes in 
people and things before you come home 
again. And I am hoping with aU my 
strength that of the greatest changes will 
have taken place in me. I mean that by 
that time you need not be ashamed of 
having befriended me. It is pretty hard 
sometimes to chmb a hill along with other 
people when you have started so much 
nearer the bottom than they have. But I 
feel now that I have made at least a fair 
start. Judge Maynard told me yesterday 
that he believed I meant business and that 
he would teach me all the law he knew and 


FAREWELLS 


261 


that he would see that I wasn^t far behind 
the fellows at the law schools when the 
time came for my examinations.” 

Betty’s face glowed with interest and 
enthusiasm and she gave her two hands to 
the young man with the same friendliness 
which she had used in his first call upon 
her. 

am so glad, so glad!” she answered. 
^^But please don’t speak of my feehng 
ashamed of you ever again. I know I was 
rather horrid to you once and that after- 
wards you saved my fife, or what perhaps 
means more than one’s life. Suppose we 
promise to repay our debts to each other 
in some entirely new way when we meet 
after my return.” Betty made her idle 
speech with no special meaning attached to 
it. And although Anthony agreed in much 
the same manner, it was possibly fortunate 
that Betty did not observe his expression 
as he turned away and walked a few paces 
ahead of her, gazing up toward the summit 
of Sunrise Hill. The golden disk of the 
sun was at this instant resting upon it like 
the crown of the world. And to Anthony 
it seemed none too beautiful or too magn*f- 


262 THE OUTSIDE WORLD 


icent a gift to have laid at the feet of a 
gray-eyed Princess. 

Voices were heard calling to them from 
the cabin, and a short while after good- 
nights were said and Sunrise Cabin was 
once more left to solitude and memories. 

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 

The next volume of the Camp Fire Girls^ 
Series will be known as ^^The Camp Fire 
Girls Across the Seas.’’ Several years wiU 
have intervened between it and the pre- 
vious book and the girls will be introduced 
under very different influences and circum- 
stances. Just how many of them will 
have crossed the seas and for what pur- 
poses, and how the old Camp Fire influence 
will still follow them, it is the plan of this 
story to reveal. 






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